--- title: "The Army bought 40 more M109A7 Howitzers from BAE for $299 million" date: "2022-08-02" modified: "2022-08-02" authors: - name: "Miguel Ortiz" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/the-army-bought-40-more-m109a7-howitzers-from-bae-for-299-million/" categories: - "Military News" --- # The Army bought 40 more M109A7 Howitzers from BAE for $299 million ![M109A7 Howitzers]() Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 and the subsequent military aid sent to Ukraine by the United States, the U.S. military has had to take stock of inventories and bring them back up to an acceptable level of readiness. For example, the U.S. sent so many [Javelin missiles]() to Ukraine that a new order had to be placed to ensure that America's own armed forces are properly equipped. With [long range artillery proving to be a vital battlefield asset]() in the Russo-Ukrainian War, a $299 million contract was awarded to BAE Systems for additional M109A7 Self-Propelled Howitzers. In 2017, the U.S. Army awarded BAE a contract worth up to $1.7 billion for full-rate production of the M109A7 and companion M992A3 ammunition carrier vehicles. The $299 million contract awarded on July 1, 2022 is for an additional 40 M109A7s and M992A3s, and their associated spare parts. This brings the total number of vehicle sets ordered by the Army to 310. ![M109A7 Howitzers]() **An M109A7 Self-Propelled Howitzer (left) and M9923A3 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (right) (U.S. Army)** The [M109]() entered service in 1963 and made its combat debut during the Vietnam War. Since then, it has seen extensive use with the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East. The M109A6 Paladin variant introduced an electronic navigation and integrated fire controls system that allows it to move, halt, and accurately fire within 30 seconds. With this capability, the howitzer can more quickly displace between salvos or evade enemy attacks, greatly improving its survivability. ![M109A7 Howitzers]() **M109A7s conducting a live fire exercise (U.S. Army)** The M109A7 variant uses the same gun and cab structure as the M109A6, but is built on a chassis that shares components with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. It also features digital displays and a 70 kilowatt, 600-volt on-board power system. "Providing the most robust, survivable, and responsive indirect fire support capabilities for the ABCT is a primary focus for our artillery program," said Scott Davis, vice president of ground vehicles for BAE Systems’ Combat Mission Systems business, in a company statement. "We are committed to delivering a vehicle that will provide the modernized capabilities the ABCT needs to execute missions with confidence." ## Author Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()