Philippine Army Finally Orders the ATMOS 155mm/52cal Self-Propelled Howitzer System from Elbit Systems

As Horizon 2 projects continue to move forward slowly, the Philippine Army has been able to push its projects forward faster than its other counterpart service branches in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In this case, it has achieved a major milestone again for its 155mm Howitzer, Self-Propelled System Acquisition Project, as 2020 started.

MaxDefense had extensive discussions in the past regarding this project, and we advice our readers to read these blog entries to have a background of the project, before proceeding with this new entry.

 "Philippine Army pushing for the Purchase of Israeli ATMOS 2000 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer" - first posted on 25 June 2013;

"PH Army to Acquire ATMOS SPH, Eyes MBDA Mistral & LIGNex1 Chiron SHORAD as it Activates 2 New Units" - first posted on 17 January 2020;

"155mm Howitzer, Self Propelled System Acquisition Project of the Philippine Army" - Resource page for the project, as posted in our extension @ Philippine Defense Resource.

The ATMOS 155mm/52cal wheeled self-propelled howitzer mobile firing unit during tests in Israel. Photo taken from Army Guide website.

Since our previous discussions, MaxDefense Philippines was able to receive further information about the project.

Additional Information on the Project:

It would be remembered that the recent interest of the Philippine Army on 155mm self-propelled howitzer systems started as early as 2012. This was when the Philippine Army released a Request for Information (RFI) to Israel's Soltam Systems (now part of Elbit Systems) regarding their ATMOS 2000 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer (SPH) system.

During the pre-delivery tests of the M-71 155mm towed howitzers ordered by the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps in 2017, Elbit Systems has already included demonstrations of the ATMOS 155mm/52cal Self Propelled Howitzers to the DASAT teams from both services. This photo was taken in the Negev Desert in Israel. Photo shared exclusively to MaxDefense by one of our sources.

In 2013, there was already strong support within the Philippine Army to acquire 2 or 3 batteries worth of ATMOS 2000 155mm SPH, but this failed to gain traction due to lack of funding from the national government.The Philippine Army adjusted their procurement programs according to the budget on hand, taking out the planned acquisition of 155mm wheeled SPH as part of the measures.

But interest on the project remained, and the Philippine Army even requested information from France's Nexter Systems for their CAmion Équipé d'un Système d'ARtillerie (CAESAR) 155mm wheeled SPH, which is in service with several of the Philippines' regional neighbors like Indonesia and Thailand, and competes directly with the Israeli ATMOS 2000.

While the ATMOS 2000 155mm SPH (top) was originally what the Philippine Army was interested in, they also made an evaluation on Nexter Systems' CAESAR 155mm SPH (above). In the end, the PA TWG decided to go with the ATMOS. Credits to original sources of the photos.

But during the evaluation period in preparation for its procurement under the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, it was found by the Philippine Army Technical Working Group (TWG) that offer made by Soltam Systems / Elbit Systems Land & C4I using the ATMOS was better in terms of performance, support and sustainment, pricing, and other reasons compared to the offer made by Nexter Systems with their CAESAR.

Compared to the CAESAR, the PA-TWG on the project found that the ATMOS was cheaper in terms of procurement and sustainment, and has greater support from the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and the Philippine Army gains to benefit on technology transfer especially in localized support for the self-propelled howitzer systems and supporting equipment.


Updates on the Project for Early 2020:

It would be remembered that the decision of the DND during the start of the project implementation was to go for a Govenrment-to-Government (G2G) deal with the selected product's country of origin. With the PA TWG selecting the ATMOS 155mm/52cal wheeled SPH system and the Senior Defense and Military leaders approving the selection, the Department of National Defense (DND) proceeded with negotiations with the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

After passing the Post Qualification Inspection (PQI) last December 2019, and final negotiations on the deal's final contract terms and conditions and final pricing, the Department of National Defense - Bids and Awards Committee (DND-BAC) has finally released the Notice of Award (NOA) for the 155mm Howitzer, Self-Propelled System Acquisition Project of the Philippine Army to Israel's Elbit Systems Land & C4I, with a agreed contract price of around Php2.386 billion.

And aside from that, MaxDefense received confirmation from defense and military sources that the DND has also signed the contract for the project with Elbit Systems Land & C4I in late January 2020. It still remains to be confirmed if the Notice to Proceed (NTP) has been released, since this would be the basis of the proponent on the start of the countdown to the delivery deadline which is 730 days (2 years) from the release of NTP.

If NTP is released by February 2020, we could expect the completion of the project (full delivery) by February 2022, although it is expected that the deliveries will be made in tranches, allowing the Philippine Army's Army Artillery Regiment to receive the units earlier.

The ATMOS 155mm wheeled SPH for the Philippine Army is expected to use base truck platforms from Germany's MAN. Credits to original source of photo.

It was also confirmed that Elbit Systems Land & C4I may also use base truck platforms from Germany's MAN Trucks, which has a better service support network in the Philippines compared to the other platforms used by the system including those from Mercedes-Benz, Tatra of the Czech Republic, and TATA of India. In comparison, the ATMOS SPH used by the Royal Thai Army uses 8x8 trucks from Tatra.

The Philippine Army's Army Artillery Regiment has also activated two new Field Artillery Batteries, the 1st and 2nd Field Artillery (155mm, Self-Propelled) that will handle the operation and sustainment of these new equipment. Both batteries will be under the 1st 155mm Howitzer Battalion (Self-Propelled), which is expected to be activated on or before 2024.

Above is the development roadmap of the Army Artillery Regiment for their Self Propelled Howitzer capability. So far they were able to meet their milestones for 2019, and it appears that they might hit their milestone for 2024 at an earlier date. Photo shared exclusively to MaxDefense by a community member.

With the ATMOS 155mm/52cal wheeled self-propelled howitzer system entering the Philippine Army inventory soon, the service joins its regional peers in having the same system available. Among those countries in the ASEAN with a similar system include Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Myanmar.


Project Summary:

155mm Howitzer, Self Propelled System Acquisition Project

Note: Edited as of 02 February 2020.

* End User: Philippine Army (Army Artillery Regiment)

* Quantity: 2 batteries (12 mobile firing units + associated support systems)

* Modernization Phase: Horizon 2 Phase Priority Projects of RAFPMP

* Project ABC: Php2,388,000,000.00

* Contract Price: Php2,386,082,313.81

* Difference between ABC and Contract Price: Php1,917,686.19

* Expected Delivery: 2 years from NTP release - February 2022

* Acquisition Mode: Government-to-Government (G2G) Procurement between the DND and Israel Ministry of Defense-SIBAT

* Source of Funding: From other sources, to be paid via Multi-Year Obligatory Allocations (MYOA).

* SARO Release: SARO-BMB-D-19-0025732 dated 18 December 2019.

* First post by MaxDefense: 25 June 2013

* MaxDefense Searching Hashtag: #PA155mmSPHAcquisition

* Status: Post Qualification Inspection with Elbit Systems done on December 2018, reinsepction done as of November 2019. SARO for 15% initial deposit released by DBM on December 2019. NOA released December 2019. Contract signed as of late January 2020. Notice to Proceed release for confirmation.

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First edit and release: 09 February 2020

Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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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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