Switzerland opts for advanced AGM artillery on Piranha vehicles
Switzerland has selected the replacements for the 50-year-old M109 howitzers, opting for AGM artillery modules mounted on Piranha IV wheeled vehicles. This is the same turret system as the RCH 155 systems ordered by Ukraine. We explore what this system offers.
The Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement announced the conclusion of the Artillerie Wirkplattform und Wirkmittel (WPWM) programme, which began in 2019. The German AGM (Artillery Gun Module) system from KNDS, mounted on the Piranha IV vehicle chassis, emerged as the winner. It will replace the Panzerhaubitze M109 KAWEST howitzers, acquired in the 1960s and modernised in the 1990s.
The chosen system and the competitive H77BW Archer were evaluated during an intensive series of tests between January 2023 and June 2024. The AGM turret, mounted on the Piranha IV chassis, received the highest rating, and the proposal from KNDS, which includes a logistics package and estimates for usage costs throughout the product's lifetime, was deemed the most favourable.
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 the aforementioned must stop and deploy supports to fire, the RCH 155 can do this while on the move at speeds up to 30 km/h. This capability significantly reduces the risk of the system being neutralised by counter-battery fire.
Furthermore, it remains fundamentally a 155 mm artillery system with a barrel length of 52 calibres (approximately 8 metres). However, it stands out due to a high degree of automation, as the loading system manages both shells and propellant charges. In systems like the PzH 2000, these are loaded manually.
This automation allows the crew to be reduced to just two soldiers. Current concepts at KNDS also envisage the development of a fully remote-controlled variant in the future.
Performance varies with ammunition used; for standard DM121 shells, the range is around 30 kilometres; for variants with a gas generator, about 40 kilometres; and for shells with a rocket booster, even 50-60 kilometres. It is also possible to use experimental sub-calibre Vulcano 155 GLR shells with a range of 70-80 kilometres or self-guided anti-tank ammunition such as the SMArt 155 or Bonus projectiles. The AGM module also facilitates firing a five-shell series in MRSI mode, where all fired shells reach the target almost simultaneously.
Germany, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom have purchased the RCH 155 system based on the GTK Boxer chassis, and Italy is likely to acquire it as well. In this light, Switzerland's choice of a version adapted to its chassis is not unexpected.
