Anyone have an idea what this devise is that the Paladin 155mm gun is firing through ?
Maybe a giant silencer?

Puzzled,

Garry

Yep, This topic has come up several times before.

The consonsus is a Silencer

This may indeed be a silencer on the firing test range or a balistic test device which catches the fired projectile for examination.
BTW the howitzer is not a Paladin (only M109A6 variant is called that name). This is a Bundeswehr vehicle and they don't use Paladins, only older variants of M109. This could be M109A3G

Pawel

my question would be why.. I would guess some type of ballisitic testing equipment.. maybe something to trap the expelled gases for annalizing the burn rates for different types of ordance... just my guess...

I think one of the previous posts when this came up they said that it was indeed a huge silencer because many of the German bases are small and near residential housing, so they use this to cut down the noise.

Imaging the offspring off this
The mind boggles
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

You read my mind! LOL! :-) :-) :-)

It's the RDHCD
Rapid
Deployment
Human
Cannonball
Device.
Using the power of a charge 7 load,up to a company size unit of US Rangers can be fired up to 15 miles behind the front lines.Due to Aerodynamic drag,the artillery shell will arrive first,providing a limited "softening up" of the landing zone..

Rocky and Bullwinkle, You ready rocky ?......BOOOOOOM! #:-) #:-) #:-)

I think its kind of funny that they actually camoflauged the thing! I mean, how can you hide something like that?! :-)

It looks obscene........ :-) :-) :-) :-)

Well a "silencer" on an arty piece would be something of extreme use to arty crewmembers. Heavyarty you'll have to back me up on this, but artillery, unlike mortars are heard long before the shell hits. So a silencer would dramatically reduce the amount of warning as well as lengthen counterbattery fire. This is because by telling sound, how the round impacted, and a number of other factors, a trained crew can respond with fire against an artillery unit. However, given the size and time to set it up (the camo would work in the forests of Germany), its use appears impractical.

Jeff

The problem with that is the M109 is supposed to be mobile artillery. You would want to get in there, lob a few rounds at your enemy and get out of their before the enemies counter-artillery zeroed in on you. With a huge silencer like that it is all but impossible to be mobile.

LOL! I bet the feminists would love that photo!!

I guess that would be easier than a guy downrange with a net on a stick.

jesus....thats huge, and our tax dollars are going towards funding a GINORMOUS silencer for a cannon!

The sound they produce is one of the main reasons that mobile artillery is so necessary. With a lower sound presence of the firing, it wouldn't need to be as mobile.

Jeff

Not your tax dollars, but German tax euros :-)

Pawel

No No No your all wrong.
Its the latest space program.. devised to save fuel they use a tank shell instead of millions of gallons of fuel.

I thought it was a silencer so they could use it for sniping... have to work on tthe camo a bit more, though :-)

the thing doesn't need camoflauge it needs skintone paint. that way, any bomber pilot will piss his pants from laughter before he gets anywhere near it.

on the topic of counterbattery fire.. now a days sound has pretty much nothing to do with it.. its all directed by radar's and computers zeroing in on where the shell was fired from..

I'll go with the explaination that its a silancer for use on the training range to cut down on the noise in area's with small bases. such as germany.

and if it is firing from 15 miles away. the sound heard on the other end is the sound of the round whistling in... and going boom.

reminds me of the incoming banner of the arty firing into a village.LoL just imagine it

Hallo
Guten Tag
Uh Oh ACHTUNG!!
Was ist das? Oh *********!!
BOOM!

You are all wrong.
It's the latest AA gun.
The enemy pilot flies overhead. Spots the device, and then realises he didn't smile for the picture so he slows down circles round, smiles and then gets a 155mm right between the eyes.
It's a howitzer pretending to be a camera!
Tom

the way i see it doesnt look like a camera.....lol :-) :-) :-)
yeah they should paint it skin color as said earlier
cheers guys