The Army is dropping the total number of Paladins it wants to field to reconcile a paradoxical promise in its fiscal year 2027 budget request: that it will finish fielding as it simultaneously stops procurement. The service asked for $84 million for the Paladin Integrated Management program in FY-27; it has zeroed out the budget line in every subsequent year through FY-31 despite still needing 158 M109 howitzers and resupply vehicles to meet the current acquisition objective of 689 sets,...