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Jul. 5, 2004 22:53
New cannon system on target
By Arieh O’Sullivan
Something appeared to be very wrong with the way a battery of 155mm M-109 Howitzers was spread out on the sands of Tze'elim training ground.
Instead of the traditional deployment in direct sight of each other like wagons in a circle, the self-propelled cannons were hidden behind dunes, almost invisible and far away from each other. "This way they are less vulnerable to incoming fire," said Col. Ro'i, a senior artillery officer. "We can do this now because of the new system."
What the colonel was referring to was a new digitalized system that allows the cannon to determine its own position and the azimuths to targets. The system was developed by Israel Aircraft Industries' Tamam Division and is revolutionizing the way the artillery corps works.
It is so new that the army has decided to give the artillery corps preference in calling up reservists, both commanders and regular soldiers, for training this year. The move represents a change in IDF
policy of restricting reserve training to commanders only. Furthermore, the artillery units will be given live rounds to practice with. This too marks in spite of IDF plans not to have live-fire exercises.
The IDF has decided to call up more artillery battalions over the summer to put them through a two-week crash course in operating their huge cannons with the new digitalized system. A fire direction center covered by camouflage netting spread out under an Eshel tree monitors all of the battery's cannons on its computer screen. Once, the fire and direction center transmitted the coordinates and data to
the cannons.
Today, the system allows the team leader at each cannon to know exactly where they are and figure the coordinates for the target himself. "The only thing left for us to do is shout 'fire' into the radio," jokes one officer.
"We have changed not only our weaponry, but also our tactics," said a senior IDF officer. The change in concept requires the team commander to become almost autonomous. "They need more time to get the feel of the system and gain confidence in it," says Maj. Guy, a battery commander. "We still have people looking for a compass
and range sticks."
"We decided that this year we would introduce this new system because it was ripe technologically speaking and it would be incorrect not to do so," said Brig.-Gen. Dani Kassif, chief artillery officer.
"We know how to make priorities. This is true whenever new technology is ready and it doesn't matter if it is in artillery or tanks or helicopters. We should not wait," he said.