The M109 is a modern American self-propelled gun. The first prototypes of the machine were built in the 1950s, and mass production, which began in 1962, continues to this day. It is estimated that there are about 4,000 copies of this weapon in all armies of the world. The M109 is equipped with a Detroit-Diesel Model 8V-71T engine with a capacity of 405 hp. The platform version (M109) is armed with one 155 mm M126 howitzer and one 12.7 mm M2 machine gun.
The M109 was created to replace the M44 self-propelled gun in the line. When designing the new design, the emphasis was on the maximum possible mobility, low failure rate, and the design was also assumed to be ready for improvements (with the exception of a radical change in the main armament). All these goals were achieved, and the M109 turned out to be an effective and reliable weapon. It was also a great export success - the weapon was sold to over 30 countries around the world! During the long series production, many experimental versions of the M109 were created. Chronologically, the first was the M109 version, which was equipped with the M126 howitzer with a firing range of up to 14,600 m. The M109A2 with greater mobility, a new howitzer (M178) and new electronic systems. Another important experimental version is the M109A4 with a new 440 hp engine and the M284 howitzer - still 155 mm - but with an effective firing range of up to 22,000 m. One of the latest versions is the M109A6 Paladin, which has modern fire control and combat systems, much richer electronic equipment than previous versions, and reinforced armor. As mentioned, the M109 self-propelled gun went to many foreign recipients, including: Brazil, Greece, Spain, Israel, Pakistan, Portugal, West Germany and the United Kingdom. The M109 also participated in many armed conflicts, such as the Vietnam War (1964/1965-1975), the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988 and Operation Desert Storm of 1990-1991.
