A Roem SPH with an ammunition supply vehicle. (Israel Defense Forces)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on 3 June that the first of its new Roem self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) recently entered service and had been fired for the first time.
The IDF described the Roem as the world's first fully automatic howitzer, giving it a significantly higher rate of fire, in addition to a longer range than the IDF's existing M109 tracked SPHs. The wheeled Roem can also move independently on roads, while retaining a high level of mobility in the field, according to the IDF.
The Roem was developed by Elbit Systems, which offers it for export as the Sigma. The howitzer is carried on an Oshkosh 10×10 platform with the armoured cab housing three crew members. Elbit says the 155 mm/L52 calibre gun has a range of 4–40 km and the fully automatic loading system gives it a continuous rate of fire of eight rounds a minute.
It can transition from travel to fire mode in 60 seconds for a rapid ‘shoot-and-scoot' capability that enhances its survivability, according to the company. It also has a multiple rounds simultaneous impact (MRSI) capability where it fires several shells in sequence at different trajectories so they reach the target at the same time for a salvo effect from a single gun.
Elbit announced in November 2021 that it had received a USD106 million contract to supply Sigma SPHs to a country in the Asia-Pacific region it did not identify.
For information on Elbit's collaboration on a new howitzer with Rheinmetall, please seeRheinmetall and Elbit Systems conduct live-fire demonstration of 10×10 L52 SPH .
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