Israel fields new SIGMA artillery cannon, Iron Beam laser system

JERUSALEM – Israel has officially conscripted its new SIGMA 155 self-propelled howitzer and Iron Beam laser system, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced.

The Sigma 155 — also called the Ro’em, which translates to loud as a thunder — consists of a modular 155mm howitzer cannon mounted on a 10x10 truck.

It was developed by Elbit as an autonomous unit with an automatic shell loading capability and a firing range of about 40 kilometers. The system needs only three crew members to operate.

Elbit began developing it about six years ago, with plans to be delivered to the IDF by the end of 2023. The Iron Swords War, however, delayed the completion of the project.

The Ro’em systems are expected to replace the American-made M109 Paladin platforms, which have been in service with the IDF for about four decades. A first battalion of the new howitzers is planned to be delivered and operational by the end of this fall.

The IDF also received its first operational Iron Beam laser system this week, which is expected to enter operational service in early 2026. The system was developed by Rafael and was tested during the Iron Swords War, with successful interceptions of rockets, mortars and drones from Lebanon.

The Iron Beam laser will be integrated as part of Israel’s multi-layered air defense alongside the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and the Arrow air defense systems.

The Iron Beam creates a laser beam of approximately 100 kilowatts designed to operate up to 10 kilometers. The laser is able to sight in on a target using a thermal sensor. It then sends a beam to heat the threat and destroy it in one of two ways: by activating the fuse and exploding it in the air or by hitting critical parts of the target and neutralizing it.

Rafael already presented the Iron Beam and three more models of the laser family: the Iron Beam-M, which is a portable model with a 30– to 50-kilowatt laser weapon; the Lite Beam, which is designed for maneuvering forces with a 10-kilowatt laser weapon that can be installed on vehicles; and the Naval Iron Beam, which is a 100-kilowatt model for ships.

Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies.

耶路撒冷——以色列国防部宣布，以色列已正式列装其新型 SIGMA 155 自行榴弹炮和铁束激光系统。

Sigma 155——也被称为 Ro'em，意为“雷鸣般响亮”——由安装在 10x10 卡车上的模块化 155 毫米榴弹炮组成。

该系统由埃尔比特公司开发，是一款具备自动装弹能力、射程约40公里的自主作战单元，仅需三名乘员即可操作。

埃尔比特公司大约六年前开始研发该产品，计划在 2023 年底前交付给以色列国防军。然而，铁剑战争推迟了该项目的完成。

罗姆榴弹炮系统预计将取代以色列国防军服役近四十年的美制M109“帕拉丁”榴弹炮平台。首批新型榴弹炮营计划于今年秋末交付并投入使用。

以色列国防军本周还接收了首套可投入使用的“铁束”激光系统，预计将于2026年初投入使用。该系统由拉斐尔公司开发，并在“铁剑战争”期间进行了测试，成功拦截了来自黎巴嫩的火箭弹、迫击炮弹和无人机。

“铁束”激光将与“铁穹”、“大卫投石器”和“箭”防空系统一起，成为以色列多层防空系统的一部分。

“铁束”激光炮可产生功率约为100千瓦的激光束，有效射程达10公里。该激光器利用热传感器锁定目标，然后发射激光束加热目标，并通过两种方式将其摧毁：一是引爆引信使其在空中爆炸；二是击中目标的关键部位，使其失去作用。

拉斐尔公司已经展示了铁光束激光武器以及该激光系列的另外三款型号：铁光束-M，这是一款便携式型号，配备 30 至 50 千瓦的激光武器；轻型光束，专为机动部队设计，配备可安装在车辆上的 10 千瓦激光武器；以及海军铁光束，这是一款用于舰船的 100 千瓦型号。

扎利·格林伯格是《防务新闻》的以色列记者。他拥有丰富的经济事务以及国防和网络安全公司报道经验。