The US Army is passing on the IDF's new artillery gun: Elbit's SIGMA system, which is based on the Roem gun, lost the Pentagon's new tactical artillery tender.
The US Army has recently announced that it selected the K9 by Hanwha Defense and will initially acquire 18 systems valued at $263 million for development and testing prior to serial production. The full contract is expected to reach $7 billion.
The tender aims to replace American towed artillery with a modern, mobile 155mm gun mounted on an off-road truck, making it relatively mobile and cost-effective. The new gun features a range of up to 60 km, compared to 32 km in current US artillery pieces.
While Israel is one of the few foreign nations that sell arms to the Pentagon, this marks the first time the US Department of Defense has purchased weaponry from South Korea. The K9 currently enjoys global success and has been acquired by Poland, Australia, Finland, Estonia, India, and Egypt.
Companies from Germany, the US, and the UK also competed and lost
Elbit approached the project thoroughly, despite uncertain odds of success, which is why it was not included in its future sales forecasts. The company established a production facility for the Roem in Charleston, South Carolina, to demonstrate commitment and economic contribution to the US. It even formed a consortium for the tender that included truck manufacturer Oshkosh and the high-profile defense-tech company Anduril - both American.
The Roem offered by Elbit has been in operational service with the IDF for a year and has been purchased by additional foreign clients. It is operated by a crew of three instead of eight soldiers in the veteran Roem artillery piece, capable of a firing rate of 6–8 rounds per minute, and can fire shortly after arriving at a position. Germany's Rheinmetall, America's Leonardo DRS, and Britain's BAE also competed and lost in the tender.
Elbit: "We respect the decision and will review feedback once received"
Elbit stated: "Elbit Systems respects the US Army's decision and will review the feedback once received. Elbit remains focused on executing and delivering its existing programs, chief among them the Roem program, which is currently in serial production for its clients. Elbit is proud of its operationally proven technology, its employees, and its partners following a long and challenging competitive process, and will continue working to strengthen its customers with some of the best technological solutions in the world."