The purchase by Spain of 214 new self-propelled artillery systems

Yesterday we talked here about the 34 new amphibious combat vehicles of the Spanish Marine Infantry and today it's time to talk about artillery.

The Spanish Marine Infantry will receive 34 new amphibious combat vehicles
Some impressive shots from SPH M-109 of the Spanish Army in immediate defense

Although many considered conventional artillery to be outdated compared to missiles, today field artillery continues to demonstrate its remarkable importance in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where this force continues to play a decisive role on the battlefield. A very important variant of this weapon is the self-propelled artillery, as its mobility allows it to move quickly from one firing position to another, avoiding counter-battery fire.

In Spain, both the Army and the Marines have self-propelled artillery. The Army has 96 M-109A5E self-propelled howitzers, 158 M-548 tracked ammunition vehicles and 18 M-548/6 SEM-1I (like the M-548 but with six wheels touching the ground instead of five). These systems are operated by different Field Artillery Groups (GACA).

In turn, the Landing Artillery Group (GAD) of the Tercio de Armada (TEAR) had a self-propelled artillery battery with 6 M-109A2 (which in 2020 were replaced by 6 M-109A5 temporarily provided by the Army) and 6 M-992 FAASV tracked ammunition vehicles. All this material is already many years old and the need to replace it has been there for some time.

In the Ministry of Industry document we saw yesterday (see PDF), two subprograms for the acquisition of self-propelled artillery systems are mentioned: one on wheels and one on tracks. These systems would be destined for both the aforementioned GACA of the Army and the GAD of the Marine Corps.

The first subprogram cited in the document is the Wheeled Self-Propelled Artillery (Wheeled Self-Propelled Artillery). It appears on page 15 of the document, which contemplates the acquisition of "ground platforms that include self-propelled howitzers, ammunition vehicles, recovery vehicles, as well as initial logistics support, training, simulation, and infrastructure." That page specifically indicates that it is planned to acquire 86 wheeled self-propelled howitzers, 86 ammunition vehicles, 14 recovery vehicles, 7 specific maintenance vehicles (if required), in addition to maintenance equipment. The document adds: "These systems will be designed, developed, and produced for specifically military purposes and will be used by the Armed Forces (Army)."

This subprogram lacks a reference to command vehicles, which are of great importance in the field of self-propelled artillery. Furthermore, this is the first time that Spain plans to acquire wheeled SPH vehicles. There are currently several models on the market, both in 8x8 and 10x10 configurations. The document does not specify which model will be chosen.

Secondly, the document cites the self-propelled artillery on chains (Tracked SPH) subprogram on page 16, focusing on systems "whose capabilities allow ranges greater than 40 kilometers, a greater level of mobility, a high degree of automation, a lower number of crew members and response time".

In this case, the planned purchases include 128 self-propelled tracked howitzers, 128 ammunition vehicles, 21 recovery vehicles, 48 ​​command vehicles for the Army and 11 for the Navy, seven specific maintenance vehicles (if required), and various maintenance materials. The document adds: "These systems will be designed, developed, and produced for specifically military purposes and will be used by the Armed Forces (Army and Marine Infantry)."

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Main photo: NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia. A Spanish Army M-109A5E self-propelled howitzer in Latvia in May 2022.