Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on April 16 that its Artillery Corps conducted its first operational shelling with the new SIGMA 155 “Ro’em” self-propelled howitzer, in support of ground forces operating in southern Lebanon.
The announcement came just hours before United States President Donald Trump announced a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In a statement, the IDF said that the 282nd Artillery Regiment used the Ro’em to shell Hezbollah rocket and anti-tank launch sites, describing the shelling as “successful and yielded achievements.”
The Ro’em brings “groundbreaking capabilities to the battlefield,” including increased fire-rate, longer firing ranges, and better mobility than existing howitzers, the military added.
The howitzer is set to enter service with the IDF gradually through the conversion of artillery battalions that currently operate the aging M109 howitzer.
The Ro’em, developed by Elbit Systems, consists of a 155mm L52 cannon mounted on a special modified version of the Oshkosh 10×10 Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) truck called the Mobile Artillery Platform (MAP), including an armored cabin to protect the crew.
The turret is remotely controlled, and the selection of ammunition rounds, loading, and gun laying functions are fully automated.
The system is capable of firing eight rounds per minute, and can fire shells sequentially at different trajectories for a salvo effect. It can carry up to 40 rounds. It has a firing range of 40 kilometers.
The crew, which includes a mission commander, a gunner, and a driver, can conduct all firing operations from inside the cabin.
Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Interestingly, the IDF announcement came just a few days after Elbit America presented the SIGMA 155 to the United States Army during the AUSA Global Force Symposium and Exhibition 2026 in the city of Huntsville in Alabama, positioning the system as a candidate for the Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) program.
The company alleged that the export version built in the U.S. can deliver long-range precision fires reaching up to 80 kilometers.
It’s worth noting that Israel has a long history of testing weapons during its wars, and of using the conflict to promote its military industry.
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lebanese make good…test targets…heheheeh
all this high class weaponry and they still couldn’t take that town in lebanon.