The interest in truck-mounted howitzers has grown in recent years. They provided a significant
dynamism in artillery systems in the international market. Developed by Israeli Soltam, the ATMOS
2000 is one of the most important competitors in this field. This self-propelled howitzer,
shortly SPH, which will constitute the future artillery force of Israel, is also in demand
in the international market. As the Weapon Detective, we are examining the ATMOS 2000
which is one of the symbols of the changing Israeli military, and its effects on this
new market. Please don't forget to subscribe to our channel,
before we start and give us a thumbs up if you like our video.
Taking its name from the abbreviation of "Autonomous Truck Mounted Howitzer System", the ATMOS
2000 was not actually developed for the Israel Defense Forces, shortly IDF.
Let's take a brief look at the origin story of this system.
Israel's search for a new tracked SPH to replace the M109 and L33s dates back to the 1980s.
Two different systems called the Sholef and Rascal were developed for this requirement.
The Sholef was a 60-ton heavy vehicle with the same hull of the Merkava tank, while the
Rascal was a 20-ton vehicle suitable for transport by the C-130.
After trials, the IDF decided that modernizing its existing M109s was a more feasible option.
An interesting development took place in France while Israel was working about its artillery
corps. The CAESAR of Nexter, first introduced in 1994, attracted the attention of modern
armies to truck-mounted howitzers. Soltam, today part of Elbit Systems, saw the
new opportunity born in the international market with this development. The company
decided to develop its own truck-mounted howitzer as a private venture, using the low-weight
SPH development experience gained from the Rascal. The prototype of the system called
the 155 mm Self-Propelled Wheeled Gun was revealed in 1999. The new SPH, the development
process of which was completed in 2001, started to be marketed under the name the ATMOS 2000.
In those years, the IDF, which gave importance to tracked vehicles rather than wheeled ones,
showed no interest in the ATMOS 2000. But, with the 2010s, the SPH succeeded in
finding new customers one after another. Even, in 2017, Israel decided to replace its
M109 Doher with the ATMOS 2000. In simple terms, the ATMOS 2000 consists of
a 155mm howitzer mounted on a Tatra T815 VVN 6x6 truck. However, the real definition is
not that simple. First of all, if we talk about the weapon, Elbit Systems can integrate
the 39, 45, or 52 calibre models of the 155mm gun to the system, depending on the demand
of the user. Many people may ask why users would choose a shorter barrel gun, while the
52 calibre has the advantage of long-range. It should be noted that the basic logic of
the truck-mounted howitzers is to mount a howitzer on the truck rather than tow it with
a truck. It's not necessary to produce a new SPH from scratch to implement this simple
logic. Thanks to its modular structure of the ATMOS 2000, a country has the advantage
of being able to integrate its old short-barrel 155mm guns onto its new vehicle. This is a
factor that reduces production costs. Besides, a solution is emerging to minimize the logistics
problem thanks to compatibility of part between the towed and self-propelled artillery systems
of the army. At ADEX-2018, Elbit Systems also introduced
a model of this SPH equipped with a 130mm M-46 gun.
In recent years, many countries have designed their indigenous truck-mounted howitzer. However,
these are mostly manually operated SPHs, due to the technological and industrial infrastructure
levels of those countries. On the other hand, the ATMOS 2000 has an onboard
advanced fire control system which consists of the main computer, navigation equipment,
and aiming device. The system processes the target information
and displays this on a screen to the gunner. By the command of the gunner, the gun is laid
automatically onto the target in traverse and elevation via a hydraulic mechanism. The
hydraulic power pack is also used for lowering and raising spades besides for loader assistance
mechanism for projectiles and charges. In case malfunction and damage, all these works
can be executed manually. Thus, after receiving the position of the target from the artillery
forward observation post, the SPH can rapidly engage the target with high accuracy. It can
be also set into and out of action in a short time.
The forward cab is armoured. Many sources report that the ATMOS 2000 is
currently preferred by Azerbaijan, Botswana, Cameroon, Israel, the Philippines, Rwanda,
Thailand, and Uganda. However, Cameroon may have supplied the towed
M-71 howitzer instead of this SPH. As the Weapon Detective, we could not find
any visual confirmation of the Azerbaijan and Cameroon armies' ATMOS 2000s in open sources.
The crew of the ATMOS 2000 is six-person. The SPH is 9.5 metres long and 2.5 metres
wide, in road position. Its ground clearance is 0.4 metre. The empty weight is 18,000 kilograms
while the combat weight is 21,000 kilograms. The 315 horsepower V-12 diesel engine provides
a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour. The range of the vehicle is 1,000 kilometres.
The ATMOS 2000 can negotiate 0.6-metre vertical steps, 0.9-metre trenches and can ford to
a depth of 1.4 metres. The range of the 155mm 52 calibre gun is 24,500 metres with M107
high explosive projectile, 30,000 metres with NATO L15 high explosive projectile, and 41,000
metres with Extended Range Full-Bore-Base Bleed projectile. The rate of fire is between
four to nine rounds per minute. The elevation of the gun is between 0 and 70 degrees. The
barrel can be traversed 25 degrees on both sides. The ATMOS 2000 carries 27 projectiles
and charges onboard. Now, let's look at how ATMOS 2000 symbolizes
the changing face of the IDF. In our Eitan video, we had detailed the reasons
why the IDF turned to wheeled vehicles instead of tracked ones. To avoid repeating ourselves,
we will briefly talk about these reasons in this video.
No longer expecting a large-scale life-or-death war with its neighbours, Israel finds it more
feasible to use cheaper weapon systems to procure and operate.
Transporting a tracked SPH from one region to another such as the M109 Doher requires
a tank carrier vehicle. Otherwise, it consumes a lot of fuel, damages
roads, and increases the risk of breakdown. Besides the road speed of a tracked vehicle
is relatively low. However, the truck-mounted howitzers can move
quickly and smoothly on highways on their own. Their fuel consumption is also significantly
less. They can work for a long time without malfunction.
Also, thanks to the developing automotive technologies, the off-road mobility of wheeled
vehicles are close to tracked ones. Preferred as a hull, the truck offers easier
maintenance and repair. Any truck mechanic without special training can maintain the
ATMOS 2000 and repair any mechanical failures of it.
Finding spare parts for a commercial truck with a widespread service network is both
easier and less expensive than a tracked vehicle designed for a specific mission.
In today's post-modern world, Israeli citizens also demand spending the national budget on
social policies rather than the military. For this reason, the IDF has to have less
expensive types of equipment without losing its power.
In short, in the future, Israel will be using an SPH that has the same capabilities as the
M109 Doher but operates more simply and cheaply. We briefly told about what the ATMOS 2000
means for the IDF. Let's take a look at what this SPH means for foreign markets.
The ATMOS 2000 battles with strong competitors, in the 155mm truck-mounted howitzer market.
It is possible to consider these competitors into two categories.
The first category consists of French CAESAR, Japanese Type 19, and Swedish Archer.
They are the most expensive vehicles in this market, due to the expensive labour force,
manufacturers working with high-profit margins, and their high technologies.
The CAESAR is the most commercially successful SPH in this category. Currently, eight countries
have preferred the system and given order nearly 400 CAESARs.
Japan is the only user of the Type 19. However, the future potential of this SPH is high.
The Archer is the most advanced SPH in this category. Although Sweden ordered 48 Archers,
the system lost some important tenders, due to its high cost.
In the second category, some SPHs are relatively affordable, but slightly behind the systems
in the first category in terms of technology. For example, China is in this race with two
different models named SH-1 and SH-15. The SH-15 has received large orders from Pakistan,
besides China. Myanmar and Pakistan have already procured
considerable numbers of the SH-1. However, despite increasing Chinese influence
on African countries in recent years, these SPHs have yet to achieve commercial success
on this continent. Serbian NORA B-52 system is one of the strongest
competitors in the market. Bangladesh, Cyprus, Kenya, Myanmar, and Serbia are known users
of this SPH. But, the fact that China and Serbia are traditionally
152mm howitzer producers poses a question mark on the performance of the 155mm howitzers
developed by these countries. Besides, the Chinese and Serbian SHPs are
based on the local trucks that are not common worldwide.
Among all these first and second category SPHs, the ATMOS 2000 has a category on its
own. The system offers advanced technological capabilities and low-cost advantages together.
The Israeli 155mm howitzers have proven themselves in many battles. This provides a marketing
advantage over its competitors. Also, the Tatra T815 VVN 6x6 truck has an
extensive worldwide service network. Another advantage is that the ATMOS 2000 is
more compact in weight and dimensions than its competitors and it can be transported
by an aircraft like the C-130. The only system that may compete with the
ATMOS 2000 for technological capability and low-cost is the T5-52 of South African Denel.
Similar to its competitor, it is based on a truck of Tatra. However, the T5-52 is significantly
heavier than the ATMOS 2000. The modular design of the ATMOS 2000 is another
key advantage. Depend on the customer's demand, Elbit Systems can easily change both the main
weapon and the truck of the SPH. After joining NATO, in the early 2000s, Romania
decided to develop a local model of the ATMOS 2000. This version called the ATROM was using
the same 155mm Soltam gun on a locally developed ROMAN 26.360 DFAEG 6x6 truck. Yet, this artillery
system never reached the mass production stage. Poland is currently working on a similar project.
The new SPH called AHS Kryl consists of the 155m/52 gun of the ATMOS 2000, an armoured-cabined
version of the Polish Jelcz 663 6x6 truck, and locally developed Topaz artillery fire
control system. The mass production of the AHS Kryl, which is still being tested, is
expected to start in 2021. The skilled labour force in Africa, with its
vast plains, is below Western standards. For the countries of this continent, a truck-mounted
howitzer that is simple to procure and operate will do much better than tracked SPHs. The
heavy tracked SPHs are also not a viable option for a country with a large number of tropical
islands such as the Philippines. They have a high risk of bogging down. Besides, the
Armed Forces of the Philippines requires light vehicles that can be easily transported from
one island to another by aircraft or ship. Therefore, it is not surprising that the ATMOS
2000 has achieved commercial success in these regions. Also, it will not a surprise that
many other countries, which looking for high tech but low-cost truck-mounted howitzer,
will become the ATMOS 2000 users, in the future. Thanks for watching our video. And please
don't forget to subscribe to our channel and give us a thumbs up if you like our video.