The U.S. Army has taken a significant step in its ongoing efforts to modernize its artillery capabilities by awarding five contracts for the upcoming Self-Propelled Howitzer Performance Demonstration. The contracts, totaling approximately $4 million, were granted to five major defense contractors: American Rheinmetall Vehicles, BAE BOFORS, Hanwha Defense USA, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Elbit Systems USA. These contracts were issued under Other Transaction Agreements (OTA), which allow the Army to collaborate with industry partners in developing and demonstrating advanced technologies. The Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) initiative is a comprehensive program aimed at significantly enhancing the firepower, range, and rate of fire of the Army’s self-propelled howitzers.
“In October 2023 the Army made the decision to close out the ERCA Rapid Prototyping effort as we determined further maturation and redesign of the 58-caliber cannon was required before we could transition into an acquisition pathway. As part of the new strategy, we are exploring a range of options within the U.S. and internationally in order to leverage mature and available industry solutions to fulfil critical capability gaps within the Army. The performance demonstrations will support the Army’s pivot from development to procurement of a mature, available and non-developmental system,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer, Ground Combat Systems.
The SPH-M project, previously known as the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA), focuses on leveraging mature technologies to improve several key aspects of the self-propelled howitzers, including mobility, survivability, reliability, supportability, and overall lethality on the battlefield. By extending the range and increasing the rate of fire, the modernized systems will offer greater tactical flexibility and operational effectiveness in future combat scenarios. Scheduled to begin in November 2024, the performance demonstrations will be a critical phase of the SPH-M program.
These demonstrations are designed to evaluate the capabilities of each vendor’s proposed solutions and will play a pivotal role in shaping the Army’s future artillery systems. The performance results will inform multiple lines of effort within the Army’s Cannon Transformation Strategy, which outlines the future development and deployment of artillery assets. The Army plans to conclude the performance demonstrations by the end of 2024. If operationally viable solutions emerge from this testing phase, the Army will move forward with a follow-on competitive evaluation. This could potentially lead to a production contract for the modernization of its self-propelled howitzer fleet, marking a significant advancement in the Army’s artillery capabilities.
