I-D-F - Israeli Ground Forces : News, Updates & Discussions

[_Anonymous_]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1613478671381143560

https://twitter.com/x/status/1613679813369397248

 

[Shan]

https://defence-blog.com/u-s-army-signs-73-5m-deal-for-merkava-propulsion-systems/

The United States Army has awarded Rolls-Royce Solutions America Inc. a $73.5 million contract to procure Merkava tank power pack kits and related engineering services under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement supporting Israel, according to a Feb. 17, 2026 contract announcement released by the U.S. Department of War.

The contract covers the delivery of Merkava Power Pack Less Transmission full and lite kits, metal containers, and contractor engineering technical services.

The total cumulative face value of the broader agreement reaches $462,947,478. Work will be carried out in Graniteville, South Carolina, with completion scheduled for Dec. 31, 2032. Fiscal Year 2026 Foreign Military Sales funds allocated for Israel, totaling $73,528,916, were obligated at the time of the award, the Department of War said.

The contract was issued by Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, which manages a range of ground combat vehicle sustainment and modernization programs tied to allied defense cooperation initiatives.

 

[Shan]

Israel’s new automatic Roem howitzer used for first time in combat - Breaking Defense

The new artillery system is fully automatic and capable of firing at a rate of 6-8 rounds per minute, up to 40km in distance.

breakingdefense.com

The new artillery system is fully automatic and capable of firing at a rate of 6-8 rounds per minute, up to 40km in distance. The first deployment of the weapon, which Elbit Systems began developing in 2019, occurred with the IDF’s 282nd Fire Brigade after several years of anticipation.

The automated howitzer, which uses a 155mm shell, is wheeled and mounted on a 10 by 10 chassis so it can maneuver quickly and in a variety of terrain. A statement from Elbit Systems notes that it has the capability to conduct firing in Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) capability — a concept where several shells can be fired in different trajectories and hit a target at the same time.

The Roem provides a couple of benefits over the legacy M109 howitzers. It can be deployed with what the IDF says is more agility and accuracy. The higher rate of fire also means that fewer guns are needed for each battery, compared to the aging M109s. In an IDF M109, the crew would be involved in manually moving the 155mm shells and placing them and the propellant charges in the gun, preparing the fuze as well as dealing with communications and targeting. With the Roem, that’s now an automated loading process.

As a result of all that, the IDF says that “response” time for the system to be ready to fire is less than a minute and “operating the weapon requires only three crew members – compared to eight” for the M109. The IDF also says the system can operate without a driver and this appears to give it remote-operation capability. Israel’s CTech has described it as being “AI-powered,” although how AI has been incorporated was not specified by the IDF or Elbit.

The new system is expected to be integrated into the IDF’s artillery units, both reserve and regular units.

 

[Shan]

https://www.iai.co.il/press/iai-unveils-rex-mk-ii-a-new-multi-mission-unmanned-land-vehicle/#:~:text=Zvika%20Yarom%2C%20GM%20Land%20Division,homeland%20security%20systems%20and%20more.