Basis of Issue Plan - BOIP

A. DESCRIPTION: THE M109A6 PALADIN IS A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (PIP) TO THE M109 SELF-PROPELLED HOWITZER AND WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 64,000 POUNDS. THE PALADIN PROVIDES UPGRADES TO HOWITZER RESPONSIVENESS, SURVIVABILITY, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY (RAM). THE M109A6 IS AN ARMORED, FULL TRACKED HOWITZER, EQUIPPED WITH THE M185 155MM MODIFIED CANNON, AND MODIFIED M178 GUN MOUNT, WITH A REMOTE CONTROL POWER TRAVEL LOCK. THE SYSTEM INCORPORATES MANY OF THE M109 HELP IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING IMPROVED HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM, ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS, VENTILATED FACE PIECE, AND AN UPGRADED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE PALADIN INCORPORATES A NEW TURRET WITH KEVLAR LINERS AND A FULL WIDTH BUSTLE WITH ARMOR SHIELDING FOR IMPROVED PROPELLING CHARGE PROTECTION. THE FOLLOWING LINE ITEM IS A COMPONENT TO THIS SYSTEM: K93373, INTERCOM SYSTEM VIC-I. SEE BLOCK H FOR A LIST OF NON-LIN COMPONENT ITEMS. B. CAPABILITIES: THE M109A6 PALADIN INCORPORATES STATE-OF- THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE THE SYSTEM'S SURVIVABILITY, RESPONSIVENESS, TERMINAL EFFECTIVENESS, RANGE, FIRING RATE, THERMAL CAPACITY AND RAM. IT'S ABILITY TO RAPIDLY EMPLACE AND FIRE ALLOWS IT TO MOVE MORE FREQUENTLY SO THAT IT'S SUSCEPTIBILITY TO COUNTERFIRE IS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. (1) FIRE CONTROL. THE ON-BOARD AUTOMATIC FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM WILL BE FULLY AUTOMATED. IT WILL COMPUTE THE FIRE MISSIONS AND LAY THE GUN AT PROPER ELEVATION AND DEFLECTION. IT WILL PROVIDE POSITION LOCATION AND AZIMUTH REFERENCE, ON BOARD BALLISTIC SOLUTIONS OF FIRE MISSIONS, AND COMPUTER CONTROLLED GUN-DRIVE SERVOS WITH MANUAL BACKUP. THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL PERMIT RAPID EMPLACEMENT/ DISPLACEMENT TACTICS AND DISPERSED POSITIONING FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONS WITH SEPARATION DISTANCES OF UP TO 1KM. THE EMPLACED PALADIN WILL BE CAPABLE OF FIRING WITHIN 30 SECONDS. (2) ARMAMENT AND AMMUNITION. ALL CURRENT, AS WELL AS DEVELOPMENTAL, U.S. CONVENTIONAL 155MM ARTILLERY PROJECTILES WILL BE SYSTEM COMPATIBLE. IT IS CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING 39 ROUNDS ON BOARD (37 CONVENTIONAL AND 2 OVERSIZED PROJECTILES, E.G., COPPERHEAD). THE COMBINATION OF CANNON/BREACH PROPELLING CHARGE, AND PROJECTILE WILL PERMIT AN UNASSISTED MAXIMUM RANGE OF 22 KM AND AN ASSISTED MAXIMUM RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 KM. (3) COMMAND, CONTROL AND COMMUNICATIONS. DIGITAL AND VOICE COMMUNICATIONS, USING CURRENT SYSTEMS AND THE SINGLE CHANNEL GROUND/ AIRBORNE RADIO SYSTEM (SINCGARS), WILL ENABLE THE USE OF AUTONOMOUS ON-BOARD TECHNICAL FIRE CONTROL. IT WILL ALSO PERMIT FIRE MISSIONS TO BE EXECUTED BY ANY COMBINATION OF ARTILLERY FROM ONE GUN TO MULTIPLE BATTALIONS. TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL FIRE CONTROL WILL BE MAINTAINED THROUGH INTERFRCE WITH THE BATTERY COMPUTER SYSTEM (BCS), TACTICAL FIRE DIRECTION SYSTEM (TACFIRE), AND, WHEN FIELDED, ADVANCED FIELD ARTILLERY TACTICAL DATA SYSTEM (AFATDS). COMMUNICA- TIONS WILL BE SECURE. (4) BUILT-IN TEST EQUIPMENT (BITE), BOTH DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC, WILL BE USED. THE CREW WILL HAVE BENEFIT OF AN IMPROVED NBC PROTECTIVE SYSTEM AND MICRO-CLIMATIC COOLING SYSTEM WHICH WILL PROVIDE FILTERED AIR TO A FACE-PIECE AND VEST. PASSIVE NIGHT VISION DEVICES FOR THE DRIVER WILL FACILITATE MOVEMENT AND ENHANCE SURVIVABILITY. C. EMPLOYMENT: THE M109A6 PALADIN WILL NORMALLY BE LOCATED IN FIRING PLATOON AREAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PLATOON FDC AND WITH SUPPORT CENTRALIZED IN A BATTERY SUPPORT AREA. PAIRED HOWITZERS WILL OPERATE IN 1KM DIAMETER BATTLE POSITIONS. INDIVIDUAL HOWITZERS MAY OPERATE IN INDIVIDUAL BATTLE POSITIONS. D. BASIS OF ISSUE: ONE-FOR-ONE REPLACEMENT FOR LIN K57667 HOWITZER MEDIUM SELF PROPELLED: 155MM (M109 A2-5) IN FIRING BATTERIES ORGANIZED FOR PLATOON OPERATIONS ONLY. E. POWER REQUIREMENTS: NA. F. TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS: THE M109A6 PALADIN WILL BE TRANSPORTABLE BY ROAD, RAIL, SEA OR AIR (C5A) AND WILL MEET EUROPEAN RAIL, BRIDGE AND TUNNEL RESTRICTIONS. G. PERSONNEL/MAINTENANCE IMPACTS: (1) OPERATOR(S): (A) CREW SIZE/MOS: THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS COMPRISE THE HOWITZER SECTION/CREW IN SUPPORT OF THE PALADIN AND AMMUNITION RESUPPLY VEHICLE: 1 - E6, 13B, HOWITZER SECTION CHIEF 1 - E5, 13B, GUNNER 1 - E5, 13B, AMMUNITION TEAM CHIEF 1 - E4, 13B, ASST GUNNER 1 - E4, 13B, SP HOWITZER DRIVER 1 - E4, 13B, AMMO VEHICLE DRIVER 3 - E3, 13B, CANNONEER (B) TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: MOS RESIDENT TRAINING IMPACT IS AS FOLLOWS: MOS 13B, 44B, 44E, 45B 45D, 45K, 45G, 63H, 63G, 63J (2) MAINTAINERS: (A) UNIT LEVEL: MOS'S 31U, 35Y, 45D, 52C, 63B, 63D, 63J, 63Y, & 92Y. (B) IDS LEVEL: MOS'S 29E, 29N, 29S, 35H, 35Y, 39C, 39E, 44B, 44E, 45B, 45D, 45K, 52C, 63B, 63D, 63G, 63H, & 63J (C) IGS LEVEL: MOS'S 29E, 29N, 29S, 35H, 35Y, 39B, 44B, 44E, 45B, 45K, 63B, 63G, 63H, & 63J. H. SPECIAL NOTES: (1) AS CURRENTLY PLANNED, THE PALADIN IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE APPLIED TO ONLY 824 OF THE M109 FLEET. (2) THIS BOING IS APPROPRIATE FOR PUBLICATION IN AR 71-13. (3) NON-LIN COMPONENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: LIN/NSN/PN NOMENCLATURE QTY/RATIO NYA MICROCLIMATE COOLING SYSTEM 1:HOW NYA AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER 1:HOW SYSTEM: HALON NYA AUTOMATIC FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM 1:HOW (AFCS) SUB-COMPONENTS: 12561802 DISPLAY UNIT 12553949 CONTROL UNIT 12561727 BALLISTIC COMPUTER/WEAPONS CONTROLLER 12561713 COMMUNICATIONS PROCESSOR 12561743 POWER CONDITIONING UNIT 12554020 PROGNOSTIC DIAGNOSTIC INTERFACE UNIT 12361394 VEHICLE MOTION SENSOR (VMS) (2) 12561737 VMS MODEM (2) 9396270 DYNAMIC REFERENCE UNIT 12553898 GUN DRIVE SERVO (EL) 12561758 GUN DRIVE SERVO (AZ) (4) THAT FUNCTION PERFORMED BY THE GUN DISPLAY UNIT (D31557) IS NOW PERFORMED BY THE AUTOMATIC FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM (AFCS) WHICH IS A COMPONENT OF THE PALADIN HOWITZER. THE AFCS COMMUNICATES WITH THE BATTERY COMPUTER SYSTEM VIA THE SINCGARS RADIO.