Switzerland upgrades artillery with agile AGM turret choice
Switzerland has selected successors for its 50-year-old M109 howitzers, opting for the AGM artillery modules mounted on Piranha IV wheeled vehicles. This is the same turret system as in the RCH 155 systems ordered by Ukraine. Here, we explore what this system offers.
The Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement announced the conclusion of the Artillerie Wirkplattform und Wirkmittel (WPWM) program, initiated in 2019. The German AGM (Artillery Gun Module) system from KNDS, mounted on the Piranha IV vehicle chassis, was chosen as the winner. It will replace the Panzerhaubitze M109 KAWEST howitzers, acquired in the 1960s and modernized in the 1990s.
The chosen system and the competing H77BW Archer underwent an intensive series of tests between January 2023 and June 2024. The AGM turret, mounted on the Piranha IV chassis, was rated the best. KNDS's proposal, which includes a logistics package and projected lifetime costs, was deemed the most favorable.
AGM turret system — a long-awaited revolution in artillery
Developed by KNDS, the AGM system, originally mounted on the GTK Boxer vehicle chassis, represents a revolution compared to current systems such as the AHS Krab, PzH 2000, Zuzana 2, and CAESAR.
While these systems must stop and deploy supports to fire, the RCH 155 can fire on the move at speeds up to 19 mph. This capability effectively prevents the system from being targeted by counter-battery fire.
Additionally, it remains a 155 mm artillery system with a barrel length of 52 calibers (about 26 feet). It stands out due to a high level of automation; the loading system handles shells and meters propellant charges (systems like the PzH-2000 require manual loading).
This automation allows the crew to be reduced to just two soldiers, and current concepts at KNDS aim to develop a fully remote-controlled variant in the future.
Performance depends on the ammunition used. With the standard DM121 shells, the range is about 19 miles. Shells with a gas generator reach about 25 miles and those with a rocket booster range from 31 to 37 miles. There's potential to use experimental sub-caliber Vulcano 155 GLR shells with ranges of 43 to 50 miles or self-guiding anti-tank ammunition like the SMArt 155 or Bonus projectiles. The AGM module also supports firing a five-shell series in MRSI mode, where all shells hit the target nearly simultaneously.
Germany, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and likely Italy have ordered the RCH 155 system, based on the GTK Boxer chassis. In this context, Switzerland's choice of a version adapted to its chassis comes as no surprise.
