Israel unveils futuristic artillery gun amid Gaza war

After years of development and research, the Israeli defense industry has unveiled a groundbreaking artillery piece called Roem, an advanced weapon manufactured by Elbit Systems, one of Israel’s leading defense companies.

The state-of-the-art artillery piece is designed to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle and is intended to increase the combat power of the Israeli military. The new weapon, described as the “world’s first fully automatic” 155 mm howitzer, is said to have a firing range of up to 80 kilometers.

In June, the Israel Defense Forces called the Roem “the world’s first gun capable of automatic fire” and described its advanced features.

“The new cannon brings new and groundbreaking capabilities to the battlefield, significantly increases the rate of fire, enables firing at longer distances than the cannons currently used in the IDF, enables independent and rapid movement on roads, and has a high movement capacity in the field,” the IDF said.

The Roem automates important functions such as loading the cannon and other tasks that were traditionally performed by soldiers.

The head of the IDF artillery, Brigadier General Yair Natans, estimated that the Roem artillery would significantly increase the military’s firepower.

“We have taken another important step toward integrating the ‘Roem’ into the diverse firepower capabilities used by corps commanders to support maneuver forces – close and lethal support that eliminates many enemies and protects soldiers in multiple areas,” Natans said. said.

“The Roem is part of the reinforcement processes of all ground artillery systems, including rockets, missiles and remotely piloted aircraft,” he added.

IDF Major Nate Franz pointed out that the new weapon will reduce the manpower requirements of artillery units due to its automated features. “It can do more with less,” he said, adding that soldiers will have to undergo new training.

“The focus will be different. As soldiers, we will have a different focus and training. It is a new instrument and it will change,” Franz explained.

In 2023, a report by Ynet News stated that the Roem project was kept secret due to its importance.

“Under the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the arms manufacturer Elbit, the new Israeli cannon is already considered one of Israel’s most important security projects,” Ynet specified by the time.

“Most of its internal components remain secret. There are only a handful of prototypes, and one has been modified for potential foreign customers.”

The Israeli defense industry has earned a reputation for innovation and excellence, closely linked to the lessons learned from the Israeli Defense Forces’ military operations on the battlefield.

In October, Lt. Col. Omer Cohen, a commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Maglan unit, praised Elbit Systems’ new Iron Sting, a precision-guided mortar.

“Thanks to the precision skills, lethality and experience of the fighters, the Maglan unit, in cooperation with the Air Force, has been able to thwart dozens of terrorist attacks using a variety of means, including the Iron Sting precision mortar,” said Cohen. said.