Th? M109 P?l??in, ? ???mi???l? s?l?-?????ll?? h?witz??, h?s ?l???? ? ?iv?t?l ??l? ?s th? ??inci??l s?l?-?????ll?? ??till??? s?????t ??? U.S. A?m? ?ivisi?ns. M?n???ct???? ?? BAE S?st?ms ?n? in s??vic? with th? U.S. A?m?, this 27.5-t?n ??h?m?th ???sts im???ssiv? s??ci?ic?ti?ns th?t m?k? it ? ???c? t? ?? ??ck?n?? with ?n th? ??ttl??i?l?.

Th? M109 ???t???s ? ??ll? t??v??s??l? t????t ?n? ? ?istinctiv? ??stl?. Initi?ll? ???i???? with ? sh??t, 23-c?li??? ?????l, l?t?? it???ti?ns, s?ch ?s th? M109A6 P?l??in, ??? ???i???? with ? l?ng?? 39-c?li??? ?????l.

Th? v?hicl? ?cc?mm???t?s ? c??w ?? six, incl??ing th? c?mm?n???, g?nn??, ??iv??, ?n? th??? ?mm?niti?n h?n?l??s. Its ?ll-w?l??? ?l?min?m ??m?? h?ll ???vi??s ???t?cti?n ?g?inst sm?ll-??ms ?i?? ?n? sh?ll s?lint??s.

At th? ???nt l??t ?? th? h?ll, th? ??iv?? ?????t?s th? v?hicl? with th? ??w????ck t? th? ?ight ?n? th? t????t ??siti?n?? ?t th? ????. Th? ??iv??’s h?tch c?v?? c?n ?? ???n?? t? th? l??t, with th??? M45 ??? ???isc???s ??? visi?ilit?. A??iti?n?ll?, ?n? ?? th? ??? ???isc???s c?n ?? ???l?c?? with ? ??ssiv? night-visi?n ???isc???.

P?w??ing th? M109 is th? D?t??it Di?s?l M???l 8V-71T ?ngin? c???l?? with ?n Allis?n T??nsmissi?n XTG-411-4A c??ss-??iv? t??nsmissi?n.

Th? t????t, ?ls? c?nst??ct?? ???m ?ll-w?l??? ?l?min?m ??m??, ???t???s s????? h?tch?s ?n ??ch si?? th?t ???n t? th? ???? ?n? twin ???? ????s. Th? c?mm?n??? ?cc??i?s th? ?ight si?? ?? th? t????t, ???i???? with ? c???l? th?t c?n swiv?l 360 ??g???s, ? h?tch c?v??, ?n? ?n M27 ??? ???isc???. A .50-c?li??? M2 h??v?-?????l m?chin? g?n is ?intl?-m??nt?? ?n th? ???nt ?? th? c???l?.

Th? g?nn??’s st?ti?n is ?n th? l??t si?? ?? th? t????t, with ? s????? h?tch c?v?? th?t ???ns t? th? ?ight. Th? twin ???? ????s ??cilit?t? ?mm?niti?n ??s???l?. N?t??l?, l??g? s????s ?n ??ch si?? ?? th? h?ll ??? m?n??ll? ???l???? t? th? g???n? ?????? ?i?ing, ??im??il? ?s?? wh?n ?i?ing t?? ch??g?s.Th? M109 is ???i???? with night-visi?n c????iliti?s ??t l?cks n?cl???, ?i?l?gic?l, ?n? ch?mic?l (NBC) w?????? ???t?cti?n. It c?n ?? ????t?? ??? ?m?hi?i??s ?????ti?ns ?sing ?n ?m?hi?i??s kit c?nsisting ?? nin? ?i? ??gs, ?n??ling th? v?hicl? t? t??v??s? ?iv??s ?n its t??cks ?t ? m?xim?m s???? ?? 4 m?h (6 km/h).

Th? ??im??? ??m?m?nt ?? th? M109 is th? 155-mm M126 h?witz?? m??nt?? in ?n M127 m??nt, ???t??ing ? ??m? ?xt??ct?? ?n? l??g? m?zzl? ???k?. Th? ??c?il s?st?m is h?????n??m?tic, ?n? th? ????ch ?l?ck ?s?s th? W?lin-st?? th???? t???. G?n ?l?v?ti?n, ?????ssi?n, ?n? t????t t??v??s? ??? h?????lic, with m?n??l c?nt??ls ??? ?m??g?nc? sit??ti?ns.Fi??-c?nt??l ???i?m?nt incl???s ?n ?l??w t?l?sc??? M118C ??? ?i??ct ?i?? with 4x m?gni?ic?ti?n ?n? ? 10-??g??? ?i?l? ?? vi?w, ? ??n???mic t?l?sc??? M117 ??? in?i??ct ?i??, ?n? th? g?nn??’s ??????nt M1A1.

Th? M109 P?l??in, initi?ll? ?????c?? in 1963 ?n? c?ntin??ll? im???v?? ?v?? th? ??st ???? ??c???s, is n?w ?n???g?ing ? c?m???h?nsiv? ?v??h??l ?s ???t ?? th? P?l??in Int?g??t?? M?n?g?m?nt (PIM) ??g????. This m????niz?ti?n ?????t incl???s signi?ic?nt ch?ng?s t? th? ch?ssis, ?ngin?, t??nsmissi?n, s?s??nsi?n, st???ing s?st?m, ?n? ?l?ct?ic ??mming s?st?m, whil? ??t?ining th? ???mi???l? 155-mm c?nn?n. Th? PIM ??g???? ?ns???s th? M109 P?l??in ??m?ins ? vit?l c?m??n?nt ?? th? U.S. A?m?’s ??till??? ??s?n?l, ????ting t? th? ?v?lving ??m?n?s ?? m????n w??????.