The M109 is an American 155 millimeter self-propelled howitzer mounted in a fully rotating armored turret on a tracked chassis, introduced in the early 1960s to replace the earlier M44 and M52 self-propelled guns as the standard indirect-fire artillery vehicle of American armored and mechanized forces. Operated by a four-person crew consisting of a commander, driver, gunner and ammunition handler, the M109 combines its main gun's firepower with enough armor and mobility to move and fire alongside the tanks and armored fighting vehicles it supports, rather than trailing behind as a towed gun would. First fielded during the early Cold War, the M109 has been continuously modernized through several major variants over more than six decades, with the current M109A7 version remaining in active frontline service, making it one of the longest-serving self-propelled artillery systems still in use by any military in the world.
Facts
Classification
Service Status Weapon ClassSelf-propelled howitzer 1 Introduced Year Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) FAQs
How many people crew an M109 howitzer and what is it used for?
A crew of four serves it as indirect-fire support for armored and mechanized brigades.
An M109 has a crew of four: the section chief or commander, the driver, the gunner, and the ammunition handler or loader. The M109 family is the most common Western indirect-fire support weapon of the maneuver brigades of armored and mechanized infantry divisions, so it supports tank and mechanized units by firing on targets that those units cannot see or reach directly.
Connections
Operated By
Source Wikipedia: M109 howitzer
Used In
Source Wikipedia: M109 howitzer
Source Wikipedia: M109 howitzer
Source Wikipedia: M109 howitzer
Source Wikipedia: M109 howitzer
Source Wikipedia: M109 howitzer
In the Other Atlases
Manufactured By
Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.
Source Wikidata: M109 howitzer
Sources
1. Wikipedia: M109 howitzer
WikipediaLead paragraph
The M109, is an American 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer
Infobox: service
M109: 1963-present M109A1: 1973-present M109A2: 1979-present M109A6: 1994-present M109A7: 2015-present
Infobox: primary_armament (155mm)
M109: M126 155 mm 23 caliber, 28 rounds M109A1-A4: Watervliet Arsenal M185 155 mm 39 caliber, 28 rounds (A1) or 36 rounds (A2-A4) M109A5-A7: M284 155 mm 39 caliber
Caliber attribute (m109-paladin)
The M109, is an American 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s to replace the M44 and M52.
Used In: Vietnam War, Article text
The light version, the M108 Howitzer, was phased out during the Vietnam War, but many were rebuilt as M109s.
Used In: Cambodian Civil War, Infobox: wars
Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Yom Kippur War Western Sahara War Iran-Iraq War 1982 Lebanon war South Lebanon conflict (1985-2000) Persian Gulf War Iraq War Gaza War 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Syrian Civil War Russian invasion of Ukraine Gaza war 2025 Cambodian-Thai clashes
Used In: Yom Kippur War, Article text
Israel used the M109 against Egypt in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and in the 1982 and 2006 Lebanon Wars.
Used In: Iran-Iraq War, Article text
Iran used the M109 in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.
Used In: Gulf War, Infobox: wars
Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Yom Kippur War Western Sahara War Iran-Iraq War 1982 Lebanon war South Lebanon conflict (1985-2000) Persian Gulf War Iraq War Gaza War 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Syrian Civil War Russian invasion of Ukraine Gaza war 2025 Cambodian-Thai clashes
Used In: Iraq War, Article text
Army in the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011.
Used In: Syrian Civil War, Infobox: wars
Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Yom Kippur War Western Sahara War Iran-Iraq War 1982 Lebanon war South Lebanon conflict (1985-2000) Persian Gulf War Iraq War Gaza War 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Syrian Civil War Russian invasion of Ukraine Gaza war 2025 Cambodian-Thai clashes
Operated By: United States Army, Wikipedia article text
The most modest one was the Howitzer Extended Life Program update originally designated as M1903A3E1 and later adopted as M109A4, initially scheduled for 1985-1987 but actually fielded in 1989 in the Reserve Component of the US Army.
In Group: Self-Propelled Artillery, Lead sentence
The M109, is an American 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s to replace the M44 and M52. It has been upgraded a number of times, most recently to the M109A7. The M109 family is the most common Western indirect-fire support weapon of maneuver brigades of armored and mechanized infantry divisions.
View the Source Wikidata: M109 howitzer
Wikidata Q170296, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.