FReeper Canteen~Military Vehicles~May 11, 2006

Various Internet Sites

[AZamericonnie]

MILITARY VEHICLES

M109A6 Paladin Self Propelled Howitzer

The M109 is an American self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. Continually upgraded and improved, to today's current version the M109A6 "Paladin", it is still the primary indirect-fire support weapon of maneuver brigades of armored and mechanized infantry divisions of the US Army, Israel Defense Forces, the Italian Army, and many other militaries, including the Norwegian, Swiss, Danish, Pakistani,Dutch and Austrian armies. ****

Army Spc. Frank Guerra prepares to fire rounds from a M109A6 Paladin artillery vehicle as part of a counter fire mission against insurgents near the town of Falluja, Iraq, on Nov. 5, 2004. Guerra is assigned to Alpha 382nd, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry. DoD photo by Senior Airman Christopher A. Marasky, U.S. Air Force. (Released)



Paladin M109A6 is a cannon artillery system developed by the Ground System Division of United Defense LP (now BAE Systems Land and Armaments) and manufactured at the Paladin Production Operation centre at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Paladin was first fielded in 1994 and is operational with the United States Army and the Israeli Army, and has been selected by the Kuwait and Taiwan. In June 1999, the US Army received the last of 950 Paladin M109A6 ordered. Seven systems were ordered in July 2000 for the US Army National Guard and a further 18 systems in January 2002.

Paladin was used in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March / April 2003 and in continuing operations in Iraq, including Operation Al Fajr in Fallujah in November 2004.

BAE Systems Land and Armaments is supplying 219 modification kits for US Army Paladins which will enable the use of the Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS) and the 155mm precision-guided extended-range XM92 Excalibur projectile being developed by Raytheon and Bofors Defense of Sweden (a United Defense subsidiary). Deliveries began in 2005.




(Exerpt) The eardrum shattering report of the Paladin rings out as the battery runs through one such registration fire mission. Spc. Ellery Villalobos, the ammunition team chief, stands a distance away from the vehicle, a red propellant bag slung over his shoulder. He waits. The look of excitement and shear joy mix on his face with the dirt and grime that flies back with each round expelled. BOOOOOM fires the gun and Villalobos is sprinting towards it with a new round to load up.

“HOOOOOAH!,” he shouts as he sprints back throwing another propellant charge over his shoulder in anticipation. “This is what being artillery is all about! COME ON GUYS! LET’S GO! GET THAT ROUND DOWN RANGE!”


The M284 cannon which is fitted with an M182 gun mount, has a range of 24 km using unassisted rounds or 30 km using assisted rounds.




Big gun go boom!

Model Type: GAW M109A6 "Paladin"
Vehicle Type: Self Propelled Howitzer
Crew: Four (Driver, Gunner, Loader, and Commander).

M.D.C. by Location: [1] Tractor Treads (2): 45 each
Howitzer Turret: 140
Howitzer Barrel: 70
12.7 mm Machine Gun (right side of turret): 20
[2] Main Body: 280

Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of a tread will immobilize the Howitzer until it is replaced. Replacing a tread will take 1D6x10 minutes by a trained crew (2 replacements are carried on board) or three times as long by the inexperienced. Changing the tread is only advisable when the vehicle is not under attack. [2] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and is unsalvageable.

Speed:
Ground: Cruising speed on land is 35 mph (56.3 kph) on roads and 30 mph (48.3 kph) off road maximum. The vehicle is designed to traverse virtually all terrain and can climb at up to a 60% grade although at a much slower speed (About 10% of maximum road speed). It can also climb barriers and ford trenches. The vehicle can also handle side slopes of up to 30%. Maximum Range: 213.7 miles (344 km)

Statistical Data:
Height: 9.2 feet (2.8 meters) without machine mount and 10.6
feet (3.236 meters) including machine gun mount
Width: 10.3 feet (3.15 meters)
Length: 20.3 feet (6.19 meters) for main body and 32.2 feet (9.8 meters) with gun forward:
Weight: 26 tons (23.6 metric tons) empty and 31.7 tons (28.74 metric tons) combat loaded
Power Source: Diesel Engine (Detroit Diesel Model 8V-71T developing 440 horsepower).
Cargo Capacity: Minimal, enough for equipment with crew Black Market Cost: 175,000 Credits. If fitted, any extra weapons systems will add to the cost of the Howitzer.






~Tribute To Our Troops~

[Lady Jag]

You are the one who asks questions later, eh?

[The Mayor]

I met your "neighbor", NYTexan, and traveled all over the heart of Texas with him, and he is soooooo nice!

I'm glad you guys had some quality time together in Texas..

[Radix]

"99..again?"

Bratmeralda again?

[StarCMC]

AWESOME thread Connie!! Very cool -- big gun go boom indeed! LOL

[StarCMC]

 

 

Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday,
Dear EHC Southern Pride!

Happy Birthday To You!

 

Big birthday hugs to you!
 

 

[EsmeraldaA]

You don't understand, I'm always on 99 or 49.....LOL!

[StarCMC]

 

 

Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday,
Dear EsmeraldaA!

Happy Birthday To You!

 

Big birthday hugs to you!
 

 

[luvie]

It was wonderful. Hope you can join us for the next one.

[EsmeraldaA]

Thank you dear Star! ;)

[StarCMC]

You're welcome!! I hope it's your best ever! *HUGS!*

[Lady Jag]

If there was a woohoo for 01s )101, 501, etc) I be a winner!

[Lady Jag]

[battlegearboat]

Asking questions is for lawyers.

Being in a tank, one has to react quickly or risk coming in second.

Now listen, I was just funning around. Don't get too excited about it.

[Lady Jag]

[Radix]

 

 

A soldier prepares to close the Sally Port main gate at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Naval Station, Cuba, on Tuesday.

 

Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda, here I am, at Camp Delta.

 

Camp was very entertaining until Helen Thomas got near and then I smeltha.

 

 

 

Sgt. James Thyden, 25, a Marine recruiter from Arlington, Va., is reflected in an escalator as he scouts Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va., for potential recruits on Tuesday.

 

Some say that Marine recruiting policies do not reflect well on the Corps, others actually have brains in their heads.

 

 

 

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (center) shakes hands with Thomas Heidenberger (left) during a event to mark the finish of Airline Ride Across America outside the Pentagon on Tuesday. Heidenberger and four other bicyclists made a 33-day journey from Los Angeles to the Pentagon to raise money for memorials to the airline crews and other victims who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. Heidenberger’s wife, Michele MacDonald, was a flight attendant on Flight 77, the aircraft that crashed into the Pentagon that day.

 

Roses are red, violets are blue,  Donald Rumsfeld is cool, and speaks true.

 

 

 

Security guards look at an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter on display near the Army's booth promoting a video game at the Electronic Enternainment Expo, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Tuesday.

 

Wow, It has got cop paint, cop windows, cop steering, and those awesome cop landing thingies.

 

 

 

A C-130 modified for firefighting drops a load of water over the Wyoming Air National Guard complex in Cheyenne, Wyo., during a demonstration for the media on Monday. In a real firefighting situation, the plane would drop 3,000 gallons of flame-retardant slurry in about 10 seconds from a height of roughly 150 feet.

 

Meanwhile the media has so far not considered giving a real demonstration to the American public an example of just what true journalism is all about.

 

 

 

 

Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 2 perform an aerial demonstration above the carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in the South China Sea on Monday.

 

On Mondays the Air Wing gives aerial demonstrations, but during the rest of the week, their missions are classified.

 

 

 

 

[Seadog Bytes]

Veterans (...and Christians) - Ping to...
"Speaking personally, I view it is an insult not just to the Legion, but to all veterans, and I will not forget it," Lloyd told WND."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1617489/posts?page=1644#1644

[Lady Jag]

We're both just funnin'. Calm.

[EsmeraldaA]

I know what you mean , 'they' seem to favored me too. LOL!

[EsmeraldaA]

Ohhh a messy cake! Those are the best.

Thank you LadyJ!!

[StarCMC]

WOOOOHOOO!! Great pics Radix -- my favorite caption was this one....

Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda, here I am, at Camp Delta.

Camp was very entertaining until Helen Thomas got near and then I smeltha.