Israel Delivers Powerful Self-Propelled Howitzers to the Philippines
Israel has delivered self-propelled howitzers for the Philippine Army. The 12 units of Soltam ATMOS 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzers were manufactured by Elbit Systems, an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense and homeland security programs around the world.
According to an Inquirer report, the Philippine Army had ordered two batteries from Elbit Systems for a contract price of P2.4 billion through a government-to-government deal with Israel. Back in May 2020, Military Leak disclosed the deal between Israel and the Philippines surrounding the howitzer purchase.
In military jargon, a “battery” is composed of multiple systems of artillery, in this case, 12 units of Israel’s Soltam ATMOS 155mm makes two batteries for the Philippine Army.
What is ATMOS?
ATMOS stands for Autonomous Truck-Mounted Howitzer System. It is a type of self-propelled howitzer, aka locomotive artillery, which means it can move on its own toward a firing position, without the need for something to pull or push it.
This means the Army can have more mobility in terms of its artillery support, saving precious time in crucial operations.
"Elbit Systems' ATMOS is a 155mm/52 caliber truck-mounted howitzer that offers the advantages of superior firepower, enhanced mobility, and rapid response time. Highly adaptable, the modular ATMOS system is compatible with any 6x6 or 8x8 high-mobility tactical truck," Elbit Systems writes.
"ATMOS supplies fire support for all types of missions and can be easily interfaced with customers' existing systems... ATMOS incorporates an embedded electronic suite, automatic laying system and automatic loading system. The advanced electronic suite effectively enables accurate navigation and autonomous operation, reduced crew size, increased firepower, and high-precision accuracy."
Very Powerful Artillery
The ATMOS 155mm self-propelled howitzer is considered among the most powerful and effective artillery in modern warfare. The ATMOS has ordnance of 155mm 39, 45 and 52-caliber barrels. The 53-caliber barrels has a range of up to 41 kilometers.
Army Technology includes it in the 10 most effective self-propelled artillery in the world.
“The ATMOS is a computerized 155mm self-propelled artillery system produced by Elbit Systems. It is a light, long-range, highly mobile artillery system addressing the critical requirements of today’s land forces,” writes Army Technology.
“The ATMOS artillery system is equipped with an in-built electronic suite, offering increased firepower and accuracy.”
Watch the ATMOS 155mm in action in this video published in July 2020 by In the Know.
