The Israel Defense Forces deployed its new, fully automatic artillery howitzer last week during combat operations in Lebanon.
The 155-mm Ro’em cannon was used to attack Hezbollah anti-tank positions that were launching strikes on maneuvering Israeli forces, the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF characterized the artillery system’s first mission as an operational success.
The Ro’em, Hebrew for “Thunderer,” is mounted on a wheeled truck chassis and can fire more than eight rounds per minute from a 40-round onboard magazine while keeping its three-person crew protected in an armored cab, IDF officials said.
“The Roem brings with it a lot of new capabilities compared to the existing cannon. Both mobility, full automation, and the ability to operate as part of a maneuver deep in enemy territory,” an IDF officer, identified for security reasons as “Lt. Col. B,” said in a statement. “It shoots farther and more accurately, which makes it real news.”
The Ro’em system is expected to replace the older, U.S.-built M109 155-mm self-propelled tracked howitzers. An M109 crew physically loads the artillery round and propellant charge into the cannon barrel while adding a fuze to determine if it will detonate in the air or on the ground. That is handled automatically in the Ro’em system.
The cannon is mounted on a heavy truck that can move independently without a driver, enabling more agile movement between different firing positions, IDF officials said.
“It’s a big truck, but smarter,” Lt. Col. B said. “A lot of the work that used to be manual, today is done automatically.”
The Ro’em has an operational range of 25 miles, compared to about 19 miles for the M109s. It can fire multiple rounds at different trajectories so they hit the same target at once, IDF officials said.
“Ultimately, we are working to integrate the new capabilities into all fire units in the army, and to adapt them not only for today’s battlefield, but also for the future,” Lt. Col. B said.
