AUSA 2012 : US Army to Start LUT of M109 A6 PIM

The US Army will beginning limited user testing (LUT) of the M109 A6 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) self propelled howitzer at Yuma Proving Ground on 1 November officials stated at AUSA Annual in Washington DC.

Col Bill Sheehy, Program Manager Heavy Brigade Combat Team, told reporters that the army was preparing for the LUT to commence to validate the PIM upgrade, which will see the current turret and gun of the M109 A6 Paladin mated with a new chassis that has a level of commonality with the existing Bradley IFV fleet and increases the on board power of the weapon system allowing the move from a hydraulic operation of the gun to electronic drive.

Roy Perkins, director of army market creation at BAE Systems, told reporters that to date the five prototype PIM systems had fired some 28,000 rounds and covered 4,000 plus miles. He added that the objective was to keep the howitzer relevant for the next 30 to 40 years.

Perkins said that BAE Systems was continuing with the planning assumption of delivering 580 PIM sets, consisting of the howitzer and an associated ammunition carrying vehicle, to the US Army. The army currently has 973 M109 A6 Paladin howitzers and 950 ammo carriers in its inventory.

On successful completion of the LUT Perkins said that he expected a contract to placed early next year, which would allow low rate initial production of the PIM to begin in late summer next year.