Delivery of Elbit-Soltam M-71 155mm/39cal Towed Howitzers for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps (Horizon 1 Project)

After three blog entries since our first entry on the project to acquire 155mm Towed Howitzers for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps was posted in 2013 here @ MaxDefense Philippines blogs, we are now finally getting to the end of this acquisition project. This new milestone is better discussed in a new blog rather than updating older blogs that have become a little less relevant.

One of the Soltam M-71 155mm /39 calibreTowed Howitzers for the Philippine military seen here being tested in the Israel Defense Forces' Shivta Firing Range in the Negev Desert. Officials from the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps were present to verify the test results.
Photo exclusive for MaxDefense Philippines.

Recap: Elbit Gets Contract:


Israeli defense company Elbit Systems Land and C4I won the bid to supply and deliver twelve (12) units of 155mm / 39 calibre Howitzers and ammunition for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, and a contract was signed between them and the Department of National Defense (DND) in 2015.

Elbit, who owns howitzer manufacturer Soltan Systems, was to supply M-71 155mm towed howitzers to the PA and PMC, plus ammunition for the howitzers.

The original Approved Budget for Contract (ABC) was Php 438,620,000.00, and only two companies showed interest in the bidding. These are Elbit Systems Land and C4I, and BNT-Tvornica Masina i Hidraulike (BNT) based in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  But by April 2015, BNT withdrew from participating in the bidding, and Elbit was left to submit a bid and ultimately win the project. Elbit's submitted bid amount was Php 410,849,184.00.

MaxDefense believes that BNT entered the PA-PMC 155mm Towed Howitzer acquisition project with their M84 NORA-A1 155mm / 39 caliber gun howitzer, which was derived from the Yugoslavian M84 NORA 152mm towed howitzer (above).
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Since the M-71 155mm Towed Howitzers are actually produced by Soltam Systems since the mid 1970s, and several units were even ordered and delivered to the Philippine Army in 1978. MaxDefense learned that there are some minor difference between the original 1978 model the PA received, and this 2016 model that are for delivery, and these include:

1, Travel Lock is now located on one trail only;
2. The new guns are equipped with LED lights;
3. Improvements were made on the Breech Opening Mechanism

One of the M-71 towed howitzers for the PA, as seen prior to delivery. The paint scheme identified this as an Army bound unit.

The last update MaxDefense Philippines made was on 12th May 2017, and was posted on our earlier blog entry "Updates on the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition Acquisition Project (Horizon 1) for the Philippine Army and Marine Corps" first posted on 20th March 2015. 


 Pre-Delivery Testing and Delivery:

Related to our previously posted information found on our earlier blog entries, MaxDefense Philippines received A1 information from its sources that the the delivery was divided into two batches: a first batch of three (3) howitzer units plus the ammunition and integrated logistics support (ILS) package, and another batch of nine (9) howitzer units.

The first batch underwent pre-delivery testing early this year, and was attended and verified by officials from the Philippine Marine Corps. The tests were made at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Shivta Firing Range in the Negev Desert. Delivery of the first units arrived in Manila on the last week of April 2017, after the howitzers were shipped from Israel. The Philippine Marine Corps' own artillery crew already underwent familiarisation and proficiency training locally,   

The first three units of Soltam M-71 155mm towed howitzers are seen here during its delivery. The guns arrived in the Philippines on the last week of April, and are already in the Philippine Marine Corps' possession as of this blog entry's posting.

The second batch of nine (9) howitzers underwent a separate pre-delivery testing also attended and verified by officers of the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, and was also conducted on the IDF's Shivta Firing Range. All nine howitzers passed the tests and were confirmed by the PA and PMC's officials present.
  
This batch is expected to arrive within June 2017, with the actual delivery date withheld by MaxDefense for security reasons. Six (6) of the howitzers will be for the Philippine Army, while the Philippine Marines will receive the remaining three (3) units for them to complete their first ever 155mm Artillery Battery.

Pre-delivery testing of the second batch of nine (9) howitzers conducted at the Negev Desert.

The paint scheme for the howitzers differ for thse bound for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps. 3-colour camouflage painted units are for Philippine Army, while Olive Drab are bound for Philippine Marine Corps.

With the delivery of these assets, both the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps will each have a new 155mm Artillery Battery in its table of organization, while paving the way for the transition of both armed service from reliance on the smaller 105mm towed howitzer. It is expected that both ground services will be requesting for the acquisition of dozens more of 155mm towed howitzers and increase the size of their organization and improving their capabilities altogether.




Side Trip: PA and PMC Officers Witness Testing of ATMOS 155mm Self Propelled Howitzer:

Take notice on the two photos posted above showing the nine M-71 155mm towed howitzers in the desert and you may have notice a truck, which upon closer look shows a 155mm gun mounted on it. Sources confirmed that it is an ATMOS 155mm/52 calibre Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH), brought in by Elbit-Soltam Systems for live fire demonstrations to the present officials of the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps.

The ATMOS was originally being considered by the Philippine Army in 2013, before the Philippine Army's leadership backtracked and confirmed that they will only be acquiring towed howitzers under the Horizon 1 phase of the AFP Modernization Program. Based on information gathered, Elbit Systems submitted their proposal and offer for the ATMOS SPH system earlier and has undertaken preliminary evaluation by the Philippine Army. 

The ATMOS 155mm/52 calibre self propelled howitzer, seen here with some of the M-71 towed howitzers bound for the Philippines.  In this case, the ATMOS system is mounted on an 8x8 high mobility truck. It can also be mounted on the shorter 6x6 high mobility truck depending on end user's choice. 

While Horizon 1 does not include any plan for Self Propelled Howitzer procurement, MaxDefense has previously mentioned several times in its blog entries and Facebook page posts that the Horizon 2 phase of the AFP Modernization Program covering years 2018 to 2022 includes plans to acquire such assets for the both the PA and PMC. The latest version of the Horizon 2 phase acquisition plan list indicated a combined requirement of 5 batteries between the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, with more expected to be requested under the Horizon 3 phase covering years 2023 to 2028.


While the demonstration is not yet part of the acquisition phase, this is a good sign that the AFP is indeed giving a chance to consider such assets for future requirements. 


Moving forward, MaxDefense will be providing updates on the delivery of the balance nine units of Elbit-Soltam Systems M-71 155mm/39 calibre towed howitzers, as well as updates on the integration of the first batch of three units with the Philippine Army Artillery Regiment once information become available. We look forward for these assets to be of good use to the PA and PMC.

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Updates on the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition Acquisition Project (Horizon 1) for the Philippine Army and Marine Corps

On February 2015, the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) released a new Invitation to Bid for the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition acquisition project for the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps. This is actually the 3rd attempt to bid the project after the last attempt made last year failed after Elbit Systems Land & C4I failed to pass the post-bid qualifications. This is also the 3rd time that MaxDefense released a blog regarding the project with the 1st and 2nd bid attempt can be accessed HERE and HERE, respectively.

Elbit Systems Land & C4I of Israel previously won the tender to supply the 155mm Towed Howitzer and Ammunition. But was disqualified after failing the post-bid qualifications. They are expected to join the project bidding again this time.

The contract remains the same as the previous tender attempt, which includes the supply and delivery of 12 brand new 155mm towed howitzer systems, 240 rounds of high explosive (HE) cartridge, and an integrated logistics support (ILS) package for the entire system. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) remains at Php 438,620,000.00. The pre-bid conference was scheduled last March 5, 2015, and the bid submission and opening was originally scheduled on March 19, 2015 but was moved to March 26, 2015 as per a new supplemental bid bulletin released on March 10, 2015.

So far, MaxDefense has not determined the interested bidders for the project, although it is expected that previous interested entities will be trying their chance to bag the project. This includes Elbit Systems Land & C4I, who won the tender last year but was eliminated after failing the post-bid qualifications. 

Among the requirements released by the DND are for the product to be in use with the origin country's armed forces or by at least 2 other foreign armed forces, and that the bidders must be the manufacturer of the goods (howitzer system and ammunition). Changes in the requirement now is that the bidders should have also completed a similar project within 5 years from date of submission of bid. Previously the requirement was for 10 years, which could have been one of the reasons why the previous tender was only participated by a few bidders, and probably also the reason why Elbit did not got the project.

A supplemental bid bulletin released on March 17, 2015 made changes also on the requirements regarding the major parts of the howitzer system. Previously the requirement allowed subcontracting to a number of parts except for the barrel, breach lock, and central structure of carriage. This requirement reinforces its earlier requirement that the bidder must be the manufacturer of the goods itself. 

MaxDefense hopes that many other suppliers that did not participate in the previous bid attempts, like Hyundai WIA and it's KH-179 towed howitzer, will participate this time.
Photo taken from KDN website.

Failure of bidding for this project will enable the DND to do a negotiated bid with possible suppliers, which was the same process applied with the acquisition of UH-1 helicopters for the Philippine Air Force.

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MaxDefense will be updating its readers on this project through this blog entry and at MaxDefense @ Facebook community page. It is expected that this project's bid submission and opening schedule will not move as much as the other projects of the DND. Hopefully more bidders will be interested in this project than before.



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UPDATES:
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April 4, 2015 (morning):
The DND released a Supplemental Bid Bulletin Nr. DND-PA/PMC-155-2015-003 last March 26, 2015, wherein there were changes on the specifications regarding the outsourcing of components, which now allows for all parts EXCEPT the barrel, breech block, and central structure of carriage. It also changed the bid submission and opening schedule from March 26, 2015 to April 14, 2015.

But due to the late release of this supplemental bid bulletin, it appears that the bidders did not know of the changes and 2 interested bidders, Elbit Systems Land & C4I of Israel and local company Stone of David, were present last March 26. MaxDefense is still confirming if the claim of an anonymous reader that Stone of David made known their intention to drop out of the contest last March 26, and only Elbit Systems Land & C4I is the only firm bidder that remain in the contest. Otherwise, the bid submission and opening on April 14 appears to be final. MaxDefense will closely monitor this project as it is already in its 3rd attempt, and any failure will allow the DND to go for a negotiated bid.



April 4, 2015 (afternoon):
It was confirmed by a source that Stone of David cancelled their participation in the 155mm Towed Howitzer Acquisition Project. Stone of David's principal for the 155mm Towed Howitzer, BNT-Tvornica Masina i Hidraulike, d.d. based in Bosnia-Hercegovina, provided 2 reasons for their cancellation:

1. The specified test and acceptance procedures indicated in the project's technical specifications "are not adaptable with the National Military Standard Testing Procedure being used (by their principal), BNT-TMiH".

2. Their principal for the 155mm HE ammunitions, Israel Military Industries (IMI), cannot open their production line as the quantity required by the contract is not within the acceptable quantity.

With this, then Elbit Systems Land & C4I remains the only other bidder for the project. It remains to be seen what will be the outcome of the bid opening on April 14, 2015, as anything can still happen if documentation becomes a problem again. MaxDefense hopes that there won't be any hook-ups from now on as the losing side on these delays are the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps, and the Filipino people in general.


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April 24, 2015:

This project has finally moved forward again, as the bid submission and opening proceeded last April 14, 2015. Only one proponent submitted their bid, Elbit Systems Land & C4I, as expected from our previous update due to the withdrawal of Stone of David-BNT-Tvornica Masina i Hidraulike. 


Elbit Systems was declared the single lowest calculated bidder with a bid amount of Php 410,849,184.00, with all their documents and requirements found to be complying to the tender requirements. Their offer is the Soltam M-71 39-caliber 155mm towed howitzer. According to MaxDefense sources, the budget allocated (ABC) for the project could not afford to acquire 12 units plus ammo of the Soltam Athos, which is the foremost 155mm towed howitzer product of Elbit Systems-Soltam and is more automated than the M-71.

Post bid qualifications is expected to be made soon in Israel by next month. If Elbit Systems passes the post bid qualifications, they can be awarded with the project and a contract may be signed soon.


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May 12, 2017:


Finally after several years, the first batch of 3 Soltam M-71 155mm towed howitzers were delivered to the Philippines, arriving on the last week of April 2017. MaxDefense received confirmation that the howitzers are now in Philippine Army custody and are being tested somewhere in Central Luzon. Ammunition and ILS-related parts were included in this delivery.

9 more units are for delivery in the next few months, with the Philippime Army receiving 6 units (1 battery), and the Philippine Marine Corps with 6 units (1 battery).The Philippine Army will be the first recepient of this delivery.

Despite being similar to the Soltam M-71 155mm towed howitzers already in service with the Philippine Army since 1978, the new units are provided with the following changes:

1. The Travel Lock is now located on one trail only;
2. The new guns are equipped with LED lights
3. Improvements were made on the Breech Opening Mechanism

Once the guns pass the acceptance tests, it will be formally handed over to the Philippine Army and commissioned.

MaxDefense will provide more updates once news becomes available.

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Re-tender of 155mm Towed Howitzer and Ammo Acquisition for PA and PMC

The Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) has subjected the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition acquisition program to a re-bid, after the initial attempt failed. The bid invitation is available at DND's BAC website. The projects Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) still stands at Php 438,620,000.00 for 12 units of 155mm towed howitzer, 240 rounds of 155mm high explosive ammunition, and integrated logistics support package. Pre-bid conference  was scheduled last March 11, 2014, while the bid submission is scheduled on March 25, 2014.

The DND released another Invitation to Bid for the 155mm Towed Howitzer with Ammunition acquisition project in February 2014. ABC still remains, as well as the number of units for acquisition.

Previous reports indicated that Israel-based company Elbit Systems Land and C4I was the front-runner of the first tender, but their bid was ultimately rejected after DND found its submitted documents incomplete and non-complying. Elbit Systems is the owner of Soltam Systems, a company specializing in manufacturing howitzer systems including the Philippine Army's M-71 howitzers. Another reported bidder was Stone of David, also known as Joavi Philippines, which was involved in several major tenders for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the last several years. Stone of David was said to offer a Serbian or Bosnian-made howitzer based on the Yugoslavian version of the Soviet M46 howitzer using 155mm caliber instead of the original 130mm, probably produced by the same company that made the Philippine Army's new 81mm M69B mortars (which Stone of David supplied as well).

Hyundai WIA's KH179 (above) may not be offered again due to cost considerations, although MaxDefense is still hopeful that Hyundai WIA will re-consider and submit a bid.

The Yugoslavian version of the Soviet M46 howitzer, using a 155mm caliber gun instead of Soviet 130mm, might have been offered by Stone of David. It may be sourced from either Serbia or Bosnia.
Photo of M46 howitzer taken from militaryphotos.net.

An earlier MaxDefense blog entry speculated that Korea's Hyundai WIA will take part on the initial tender, but that they did not submit a bid. Also missing is the favorite among the AFP, the BAE Land System's M777. This might be due to the budget allocated by the AFP, as both Hyundai WIA's KH179 and BAE's M777 may cost higher than what the AFP can afford. It is expected that both Elbit Systems and Stone of David may return to re-bid for the project, and MaxDefense still expects Hyundai WIA and BAE Land Systems to pass on this project.

A simplified version of Elbit Systems' Soltam ATHOS 155mm Towed Howitzer might be offered to the Philippine Army and Marine Corps' requirements.
Photo taken from Army-Guide website.

MaxDefense's Opinion:
Based on information gathered and observation of events, MaxDefense believes that Elbit Systems has the highest chance of bagging this project, possibly with an offer based on a simplified version of the automated Soltam Athos System. This is related to the growing relationship between the Israeli military and defense industry, and the AFP. MaxDefense sources have already indicated a very active lobbying of Israeli systems to executive branch of the government, the DND, and the AFP. This is evident with the recent awarding or being shotlisted for defense projects by Israeli companies without undergoing tender: 

• Elbit recently got awarded with a contract to provide 28 upgraded M113 armored vehicles for the PA; 
• IAI-Elta Systems Ltd. was shortlisted as among the leading choices to supply the 3 air defense and surveillance radar systems for the Philippine Air Force.
• Although tendered, IAI-Elta Systems was one of the winning bidders for the establishment of Coast Watch Systems for the Philippine Navy. 

There are indications that Israel may be offering refurbished 155mm towed howtizers, probably Soltam M-71s (above) similar to what the PA is using.
Photo taken from Wikipedia.

There is a strong indication that Israel is pushing to supply the AFP with several military systems and equipment consisting of new and surplus but still usable systems. This includes several types of missile systems, armored vehicles, gun systems for land and naval applications, patrol boats, artillery, radar and sensors systems, combat aircraft and helicopters. This possibility of purchasing used/refurbished artillery systems from Israel may affect the decision in awarding the contract for the new 155mm towed howitzers, as it gives Israeli products a strong edge due to commonality in supply chain, maintenance, and training.

MaxDefense awaits for more information regarding this project and will inform its readers of any updates, as the 155mm towed howitzer project was given less attention with the SAA/LIFT acquisition project based on the KAI FA-50 is gaining traction these past weeks. 

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Updates:
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March 28, 2014 - Elbit Systems Land & C4I wins the tender to supply 12 units of 155mm towed howitzer and ammunition for the Philippine Army and Marine Corps. Elbit System's bid was reportedly at Php 368,837,332.00 for the entire package, which is lowed than the project ABC of Php 438,620,000.00. Offer was reportedly the ATHOS system, probably in 39 caliber model.

Elbit System's ATHOS 155mm Towed Howitzer, said to be the next 155mm towed artillery system for the PA & PMC.
Photo taken from Elbit System's website.

More updates from MaxDefense when information starts to trickle down.

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