SHAH ALAM: As the government mulls over plans to tender or not the 155mm SPH for the Army, one of our Asia-Pacific neighbours has decided to splash US$106 million for an undisclosed number of an Israeli made SPH. The SPH is the Elbit Systems Sigma SPH, an automatic self propelled howitzer like the BAE Systems Archer, Yugoimport Nora and the Rheinmetall
HX 10X10 SPH.
Elbit when making the announcement of the deal did not identify the customer apart from saying its an Asia-Pacific country. Not many countries are looking for a truck mounted SPH – especially an automatic one which is fired from a remote control turret.
Using the remote control turret – which could be operated manually in emergencies – reduces the crew from eight (traditional towed howitzer) to three. A semi-automatic truck mounted SPH have about five crew while a tracked SPH, usually have four.
As you are probably aware Singapore Army has announced that they will be getting a new SPH in the near future which will have fewer personnel from its current towed howitzer units. So it may well be that Singapore is the customer or maybe not.
Elbit Systems Awarded $106 Million Contract to Supply SIGMA Self-Propelled Howitzer Gun Systems to a Country in Asia-Pacific
Haifa, Israel, November 15, 2021 – Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT and TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or “the Company”) announced today that it was awarded a contract valued at approximately $106 million to supply SIGMA fully automatic self-propelled howitzer gun systems to a country in Asia-Pacific. The contract will be fulfilled over a five-year period.SIGMA is a 155mm/52 calibre self-propelled howitzer capable of automatic loading and laying of the gun system, rapid in-and-out action times and high rate of fire. It offers a protected cabin for a crew of three. Depending on the mission, SIGMA is capable of automatically selecting and loading the required projectile, propellant and fuze and laying the gun to optimally engage targets.
Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems, said: “The SIGMA system effectively addresses the growing need of armed forces to enhance the effectiveness of their artillery formations and reduce life-cycle costs while improving precision, rapidity, autonomy, survivability and connectivity. The SIGMA system is based on the know-how and experience accumulated by the Company over decades in supplying artillery systems to numerous customers, including the new 155mm fully automatic self-propelled howitzer gun systems for the Israel Defense Forces”.
As usual your guess is as good as mine.
— Malaysian Defence
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Pretty sure it was for Philippines which ordered 12 unit of it.
Only 2 countries actively buys Israeli stuff: SG & Thai. SG however prefers to develop their own weapon systems, so Im leaning onto Thai here.
From the rumours, the buyer is indeed Singapore, as they are the only asia pacific country that has a requirement for a fully automatic loading 155mm SPH.
With the ergonomically dangerous Primus SPH already killing a few of its operator’s, Singapore really wants a new SPH that does not need any person to load it. Not to mention the declining youth pool of the nation.
Don’t trust anything that is too automated. Great when it works but mati kalau rosak on the battlefield.
No lah, the Thai is working with Elbit Systems to develop a truck mounted SPH based on the Atmos. This is an addition to the purchase of a dozen or so Nexter Caesar
@Alex
I can confirm that it is not Philippines. They went for 12 Elbit ATMOS, not the Elbit SIGMA.
Btw, does our Army requires a fully automatic SPH or semi-automatic SPH?
The Philippines is getting the ATMOS 2000 SPH, the other truck mounted SPH from Elbit System
I guess the buyer is ok with an automatic SPH as it has a lower crew member
tom Tom – ”Great when it works but mati kalau rosak on the battlefield.”
Soviet/Russians subs have had fully automated top handling systems; very low failure/breakdown rate. Same goes with the the Soviet/Russian carousel 125mm auto loader; very very low failure/breakdown rate. Anyhow if indeed it breaks down a human can always step in.
“No lah, the Thai is working with Elbit Systems”
Hmm, I see…. I’d be really surprised if the were SG tho, as it would break with tradition of going for “indigenous designed & built” heavy equipment. As it looks, tho we started looking much much earlier, SG will beat us to the punch in getting their wheeled SPHs.
”s it would break with tradition of going for “indigenous designed & built” heavy equipment.”
They have no issue buying from a broad what they can’t develop locally.
” As it looks, tho we started looking much much earlier, SG will beat us to the punch in getting their wheeled SPHs.”
Add that to a whole long list of things we started looking earlier but they actually got earlier. What they have also ”beat us to the punch” is fully integrating their use of arty with other assets, including ISR; to enable a effective strike/recce capability.
“no issue buying from a broad”
They did not buy from abroad the Terrex, Bionix, Primus, the FH88, FH2000 & SLWH Pegasus arties.
“fully integrating their use of arty with other assets, including ISR”
Is not something which we were looking at seriously unlike going for the SPH buy, which we even conducted proving ground testing.
”They did not buy from abroad the Terrex,”
No they clearly did not. As I alluded to; they would prefer to locally develop when possible but buy from abroad if they have to ….
”Is not something which we were looking at seriously unlike going for the SPH buy”
On the contrary it’s something we place huge importance in and something we have been progressively working on steadily; albeit slowly. An example would be the tri service NCO programme which has been stretched over various phases and the demonstration at DSA 2018 where a Model 56 battery in Melaka was relayed fire order digitally from a booth at DSA. A UAS was used for BDA.
Too much weapon for a small country don’t you think? Or did they know something we don’t know already?
@Jackie
“Too much weapon for a small country don’t you think?”
It’s always been that way for a very long time already. They are a small nation so a solid defence is needed for their own survival plus they had both the political will and cash to maintain that kind of policy unlike our politicians.
It is interesting to note the overmatch capability came about when our leader was barking at the hill. So you can blame that on him as well
The overmatch capability is due to their believe that MY will treat SG as their adik and that the adik will always have to defer to the abang. You can read about this in LKY’s book.
A good example of this abang-adik relationship is what the MB of Kedah is doing to Penang.
“As I alluded to; they would prefer to locally develop when possible but buy from abroad if they have to ….”
Which is why I said “it would break with tradition of going for indigenous designed & built heavy equipment”. Sometimes they do see the need to get non-indigenous ie 2nd hand Leopard2s, but for newer weapons platform they have largely been getting homegrown stuff. So I’d be quite surprise if they bought new off-the-shelf SPH, unless it is in such small numbers, even less than Primus, that it made more sense to buy than develop one.
“it’s something we place huge importance in”
I wish it was something reflected in more tangible metrics such as more budgeting or more emphasis in setup & manpower, if they had really cared. The thing is, SG have beaten us on a lot of categories, the difference is they were front starters in most of them, while for wheeled SPH we were seriously looking at that platform way before SG did and yet today they have (allegedly) made the buy while we’re still mulling it.
If i not wrg, this is joint development. Both Sg and Israel need new artillery at same time. But sg opt not 2 build it here. Their ST kinetic land side is full house and so will be marine side. Like other stuffs sg will buy in batches. On primus, it is not the machine. The one dead actor cause by not follow maintainence sop. Many us reservist sometime improvise but the best is follow SOP. You guy shld wait see the MRCV \”destroyer\” when the real deal is show. Like Formidabel it really amazin.
”Which is why I said “it would break with tradition ”
I know it requires effort but no need to obfuscate things. I merely pointed out – in reference to your earlier statement – that the Sings prefer to develop local when they can but buy from a broad when they have to.
” the difference is they were front starters in most of them,”
It was not actually ”most” and I can provide a list but you apparently know better.
” yet today they have (allegedly) made the buy while we’re still mulling it.”
What has that go to do with the price of oranges? There were different dynamics and sets of circumstances at play. One army appeared to get something suited for its CONOPS and other things and another army was initially forced to get something ill suited for its needs ….
The first real pic of the Sigma.
https://twitter.com/Ninja998998/status/1480510037659652105/photo/1
So SG has Primus tracked SPH and now Sigma on wheels.