Leonardo wins Army contract to upgrade self-propelled howitzer weapon control system

The Army has awarded Leonardo DRS a $16.9 million contract to develop a modernized prototype of the electric weapon control system on the M109A7 Paladin, the service’s self-propelled howitzer, according to a press release the company put out today.

The direction came in the form of an other transaction agreement to prototype a next-generation version of the control system, called the Paladin Electro Servo Amplifier, which will be built with up-to-date electrical technology.

“Paladin is a mission critical combat system, and our agility and leading-edge capabilities ensure our U.S. Army partner has the necessary capabilities to support our warfighters for the long term,” Denny Crumley, senior vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Land Electronics business unit, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be providing this next generation of technology to the Army’s M109A7 Paladin combat vehicle.”

The service is hoping to solicit vendors to demonstrate their own mature -- wheeled or tracked -- 155mm self-propelled howitzer systems in a competitive evaluation at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, next year, in the hopes of increasing the range capability compared with the M109A7, which fires up to 40km.