Watch: IDF Artillery Corps Fires New Automatic Cannon

The “Roem” is the world's first cannon capable of fully automatic firing without human intervention

By Mandi Kogosowski, Israel Defense, 03/06/2024

https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/62209

IDF Artillery Corps staff examining the new ‘Roem.’ Photo: IDF wesbite

The first operational model of the IDF’s Artillery Corps’ new cannon, the “Roem” (Hebrew for “thunderous”) has been completed in recent days. The model included driving on the terrain, armament, and an initial firing conducted by artillery fighters.

The “Roem,” developed by Elbit Systems, is the world's first cannon capable of fully automatic firing without human intervention. According to the IDF, the new cannon brings groundbreaking capabilities to the battlefield - significantly increasing the rate of fire, enabling firing at longer ranges than the current cannon used by the Israeli army today, allowing independent and rapid movement on roads, and possessing high mobility capabilities in terrain.

The automatic system in the cannon streamlines its use, reduces the number of required personnel to operate it, and allows the commander to efficiently plan and execute fire over a wider sector of the battlefield.

The transition to the new cannon marks a milestone for the artillery corps and the close cooperation with the maneuvering divisions and is poised to change the utilization of artillery in future battlefield scenarios.

"The relevance and dominance of artillery fire are evident in warfare," stated Brig. Yair Natans, Chief Artillery Officer. "We have taken yet another significant step towards integrating the ‘Roem’ into the diverse firepower capabilities wielded by corps commanders to assist manoeuvring forces close and lethal support that eliminates many enemies and protects soldiers in various arenas. The ‘Roem’ is part of the reinforcement processes of all ground artillery systems, including rockets, missiles, and remotely piloted aircraft."