by allowing the battery to operate dispersed in pairs across the countryside, and allowing the howitzer to quickly move between salvos, or if attacked by indirect fire, aircraft, or ground forces. Ammunition storage of 155 mm rounds was increased from 36 to 39. The US Army received the first Paladin in 1994 and the last of 950 in 1999. M109 "KAWEST" This Swiss improved version produced by Ruag incorporates a new Swiss-designed L47 155 mm gun with an increased firing range of up to 36 km. It features an inertial navigation system coupled with a new gun-laying system, along with an ammunition storage increase of 40 rounds and 64 charges. The KAWEST (lit. Kampfwertsteigerung = upgrade of combat capabilities) requires only six crew members instead of eight. It is able to fire three-round bursts within 15 seconds, or maintain a constant firing rate of over one round per minute. Upgraded Swiss PzHb (Panzerhaubitze) 79 and 88 (M109A1) are known as respectively PzHb 79/95 and PzHb 88/95. M109L52 Jointly developed by the Dutch firm RDM and the German firm Rheinmetall, the M109L52 was first revealed in 2002. The main improvement was replacing the M126 series gun with the longer 52-caliber cannon from the PzH 2000, thus the MTLS ammunition of the PzH 2000 can be used. Improvements to the loading system were also made, resulting in an increased rate of fire from 3 rds/min to 9–10 rds/min, able to be sustained for up to 2 minutes. A total of 35 rounds can be carried. M109A3GNM The latest version in service with the Norwegian Army's Artilleribataljonen. 126 M109Gs were acquired from West Germany between 1969 and 1971. They were then upgraded to the M109A3GN configuration during the latter half of the 1980s. In 2006, there were 56 M109A3GNs in the Army's inventory, meaning that at least 70 SPGs had been scrapped after the end of the Cold War. 14 of the M109A3GNs received upgrades in 2007, and were designated M109A3GNM. The upgrade includes a new intercom and new navigation and positioning systems. In 2020 the 14 units with A3GNM upgrades and those still with A3GN specs were placed in storage because all the new Korean K9 Thunder units had been delivered. In May 2022, Norway donated 22 A3GN-spec M109s to Ukraine. Two M109A3GN howitzers were destroyed and three damaged during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. K55 K55 is a South Korean