US, Philippine armies fire ATMOS 2000, HIMARS in drills

The Philippines and US troops fired HIMARS for the first time in live-fire Exercise ‘Salaknib'. The picture shows a HIMARS system from Exercise ‘Eager Lion' in Jordan. (US Army/Sgt 1st Class Steven Queen)

The troops of the US and Philippine armies conducted live firing of Autonomous Truck Mounted howitzer System (ATMOS) 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled artillery units and M-142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in ‘Balikatan' and ‘Salaknib' exercises.

Philippine Army (PA) spokesperson Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said in a press release, “Field artillery personnel from the PA and the US [Army] Pacific utilised the 155 mm ATMOS 2000 in the live-fire exercise.”

According to the PA, the ATMOS was tested in both the ‘Salaknib' and ‘Balikatan' exercises that happened throughout March and April 2023.

In September 2022, the PA deployed its 12 ATMOSs to the service's 10th Field Artillery ‘Rolling Thunder' Battalion, marking the weapon system's entry into operational status.

According to Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Artillery and Air Defence, the ATMOS 2000 is a self-propelled, truck-mounted, wheeled artillery system designed for autonomous operations with high mobility and rapid deployment, enabling shoot-and-scoot operations.

The system has a 155 mm/52 calibre ordnance mounted on a Tatra 6×6 truck. The weapon system can fire NATO-standard ammunition and has a maximum range of 41 km using the extended-range full- or base-bleed (ERFB-BB) projectile.

Apart from the ATMOS, the Philippine and US troops fired HIMARS during the live-fire phase of the Exercise ‘Salaknib' in Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation area in Nueva Ecija, which lies about 120 km north of Manila.

“[The] PA and US Army Pacific soldiers conducted for the first time a HIMARS live-fire exercise,” Col Trinidad said.