Currently, everyone in the world has better artillery than we do. The M109A6 Paladin (and M198 for that matter) with its 39 caliber tube can only fire a RAP out to 30,100 m or a BBICM to 28,300. To get those ranges you have to us high charges (M203 series) crews are limited to about a half dozen or so a day in peace time, maybe 2 dozen in war time. With its standard propellants, M4A2 its range is only 14, 500 m. When you look at weapons like the PzH 2000, ASL90 (52cal), 2S19, G6, they all out range use by quite a bit. Our only saving grace is we normally have air superiority, are better at coordination and long range target acquisition. So often range is not all it is crack up to be.
The Crusader gives the artillery a system that can conduct MRSI (Multi Round Simo Impact) mission unlike current system that maybe do a 2 round MRSI, the Crusader can do a 8-10 MRSI at almost all its ranges. In effect each howitzer now will have the fire power of a whole battery. Also the Crusader is able to keep up with the maneuver forces, the Paladin cannot keep up with M1 or M2/3. The Crusader will use MACS (Modular Artillery Charge System) so there will be war charges and peacetime charge no longer be green, white and red bad MACS will eventually replace them all. You can combine the MACS in any order, (no more charge 1,2,3 etc.) and there will be an ignition pad on both sides of the MACS.