The first M109A7 155mm self-propelled howitzer was delivered to the US Army on 9 April that represented the beginning of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP).
Formerly called the Paladin Integrated Management (PIM), under the M109A7 programme existing M109A6 Paladin howitzers are disassembled at Anniston Army Depot, Alabama, with the turret structures torn down with selected subsystems rebuilt or replaced.
Meanwhile, new hull structures are manufactured at BAE Systems in York, Pennsylvania. The company secured the contract in December 2014.
Turrets and hull structures are then shipped to Elgin, Oklahoma, where they are reassembled. Although the M109A7 program utilizes the cannon from
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The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
Romania received its first Cobra MkII 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles, ordered Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and VAMTAC light vehicles, and is set to invest billions-of-dollars in infantry fighting vehicles.
The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.
The VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico or High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) 4×4 by Urovesa is in service with or has been ordered by eight countries, the most recent being Spain this month and Romania last month.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
The CV90 is in service with or ordered by ten countries. The agreement between six of these countries is designed to create commonality to provide economies of scale and a reduced training burden.
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