Israel Fields SIGMA 155 Roem Automated Artillery System as M109 Replacement for Faster Fires.

The Israel Defense Forces has taken delivery of its first SIGMA 155 Roem self-propelled artillery system from Elbit Systems, beginning a phased replacement of the long-serving M109 fleet. The move reflects a push toward automation, faster sensor-to-shooter timelines, and reduced crew demands as artillery faces growing counter-battery threats.

The Israel Defense Forces Artillery Corps has received the first SIGMA 155 Roem, an Israeli-produced self-propelled 155 mm artillery system delivered by Elbit Systems. The handover marks the opening move in a phased replacement of the U.S.-made M109 fleet that has underpinned Israeli tube artillery since the 1980s. Beyond being a new gun, Roem signals a deliberate pivot toward automation, faster kill chains, and manpower efficiency at a time when Israel’s ground forces are under constant pressure to generate massed fires quickly, then relocate before enemy counterfire arrives.
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SIGMA 155 Roem self-propelled howitzer of the IDF Artillery Corps, featuring a 155 mm gun with up to 40 km range, fully automatic shell loading, a reduced three-soldier crew, and advanced digital command-and-control enabling rapid, networked fire missions and high-tempo shoot-and-move operations (Picture source: Israel MoD).

The SIGMA 155 is built around a 155 mm howitzer coupled to an automatic shell loading architecture that compresses the human workload traditionally required to sustain high tempo firing. The IDF is set to operate the system with a three-soldier crew, down from roughly seven on legacy platforms, by shifting repetitive tasks such as ammunition handling and parts of the firing sequence to mechanized and computerized processes. That reduction is not merely about saving personnel. It is a design choice that aims to keep the gun in action longer, under fatigue and in degraded conditions, while enabling smaller detachments to disperse, hide, and survive.

Roem’s reported maximum range of up to 40 km expands the Artillery Corps’ reach and changes its tactical geometry. In practical terms, a longer stick allows batteries to cover larger sectors from fewer firing positions, push key targets deeper behind the forward line, and engage from locations that are harder for enemy drones and counter-battery radars to triangulate. The system’s modern fire control and advanced command-and-control connectivity are equally consequential. By linking digital fire missions to onboard computation and automated laying and loading sequences, Roem is intended to shorten the time from target detection to rounds on target. In an environment saturated with sensors, where targets appear and disappear in minutes, this speed is often the difference between destroying a launcher and striking an empty patch of terrain.

Operationally, the SIGMA 155 is tailored for the type of artillery work Israel expects in both high-intensity and intermittent conflict: rapid response fires, coordinated salvos, and repeated relocation. Automation supports a “shoot, move, shoot” rhythm by reducing setup demands and enabling consistent execution under stress. With fewer crew exposed outside the vehicle during loading and firing cycles, survivability improves against fragmentation, small arms, and the ever-present threat from loitering munitions. When paired with modern battlefield observation, including drones, ground radars, and forward teams, Roem becomes a node in a sensor-to-shooter network rather than a standalone cannon.

The induction path also reflects how the IDF typically derisks new combat systems. The first guns are expected to undergo live-fire drills, fitment of IDF-specific components, and a structured inspection and acceptance sequence before wider fielding. Training is slated to begin in the spring, building crews and maintainers while tactics and firing procedures are refined. The first SIGMA 155 battalion is expected to become operational in the fall, a timeline that suggests Israel wants measurable capability in the near term rather than a long development runway.

Strategically, Roem matters because it tightens Israel’s control over a core warfighting function. Domestic production and local integration reduce dependence on foreign upgrade cycles and simplify tailoring to Israel’s doctrine, communications, and munition inventory. Replacing aging M109s also addresses the realities of modern counter-battery warfare, where speed, dispersion, and digital integration can be as decisive as caliber. For the Artillery Corps, the SIGMA 155 Roem is not just a modernization program. It is an institutional shift toward semi-autonomous, networked fires designed for the pace and precision demanded on Israel’s evolving battlefields.