WASHINGTON — The defense contractor that was working on a new U.S. Army cannon — now proposed for cancellation — will move ahead with plans to modify the current cannon at a park in Elgin, Sen. Jim Inhofe said today.
Inhofe, R-Tulsa, told visitors from Lawton and Fort Sill that BAE Systems' contract to upgrade the Paladin means the company will still build a 150,000-square-foot facility in Elgin for the work. BAE developed the prototype for the cannon that was to be part of the Army's Future Combat Systems. But Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to cancel all the ground vehicles that were planned for the Future Combat Systems. Inhofe has been a strong proponent of a new cannon and has repeatedly criticized the Paladin as outdated. He has repeated the criticism in recent weeks, even though the cannon has been slated for major upgrades. In comments today, however, Inhofe said the development of the Paladin "will increase the survivability and lethality of our Paladin force — keeping the Paladin a viable weapon system for years to come." BAE has nearly $27 million in contracts with the Army to upgrade the Paladin, using some of the technologies it developed for the new cannon.
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