Elbit Systems of America builds its self-propelled wheeled howitzer at a facility in South Carolina. (Elbit Systems of America)
Around USD4 billion in total was awarded to five companies to officially demonstrate systems that can produce a longer range than the current M109 Paladin howitzer, the army announced on 15 October.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles (ARV), BAE Bofors, Hanwha Defense USA, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), and Elbit Systems USA were given other transaction authority (OTA) contracts for demonstrations that will take place all over the world and wrap up before the end of the calendar year, self-propelled howitzer (SPH) programme officials told reporters at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2024 conference. After the demonstrations wrap up, a competitive evaluation ending in a downselect will begin sometime in fiscal year (FY) 2026.
The Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) programme has now been christened the Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) line of effort.
Multiple companies told Janes that the army was estimating November 2025 for final competitive evaluation at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, but that time could be pushed. A draft request for proposals is expected in January 2025.
Competitive evaluation is not limited to the five companies, said Brigadier General Rory Crooks, director of the army's Long Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team. He said the army is open to different approaches and technology.
The demonstration will assess performance, maturity, and availability, according to Lieutenant Colonel Todd Mueller, product manager for SPH-M.
“If the performance is there, but you can't build it or buy it, it's not really good to an artillery battalion,” he said during a media roundtable on 15 October.
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