Tel Aviv: The artillery corps of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has officially integrated the Elbit Systems’ version of SIGMA howitzer into service.
SIGMA is a 155mm/52 caliber self-propelled howitzer capable of automatic loading and laying of the gun system, rapid in-and-out action times and high rate of fire. It offers a protected cabin for a crew of three. Depending on the mission, SIGMA is capable of automatically selecting and loading the required projectile, propellant and fuze and laying the gun to optimally engage targets.
The IDF version dubbed Ro’em is a 155 mm/52-caliber cannon mounted on a high-mobility 10×10 wheeled chassis, giving strategic mobility without tank transporters and faster road moves than tracked artillery systems.
Fully automated turret: ammunition selection, loading and gun laying are remote-controlled from the armoured cabin; crew does not need to expose themselves during firing.
Typical crew of three (commander, gunner, driver), compared with ~7 on legacy M109s, thanks to full auto-loader and digital fire control system.
All firing operations are carried out from an armoured cab, improving crew protection against counter-battery and small-arms threats.
Transition from travel to fire (and vice versa) is under a minute, supporting shoot-and-scoot profiles to reduce vulnerability to counter-battery fire.
Rate of fire around 8+ rounds per minute, with the ability to execute sequential shots on different trajectories to achieve near-simultaneous impact. The system is equipped with an onboard magazine of roughly 40 rounds in the turret.
IDF Ro’em configuration fires standard 155 mm ammunition to about 40 km; an export-oriented configuration is promoted with ranges up to ~80 km with suitable extended-range/rocket-assisted munitions.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
