The Swiss Army announced in early June that it has awarded a contract to replace its M109 tracked self-propelled howitzers with the Piranha DONAR 10X10 wheeled howitzer.
The Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse signed a procurement contract with German manufacturer KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG to deliver thirty-three Piranha IV platforms with the Artillery Gun Module. This Swiss configuration is called the DONAR. The Piranha IV chassis is supplied by GDELS-Mowag and features a five-axle design with multi-axle steering. The Piranha is already in Swiss service, which provides support and logistics advantages.
The AGM is an unmanned, remotely controlled artillery gun equipped with an automated loader for projectiles and modular propelling charges. It can operate at any elevation and azimuth, even while moving. It features Shoot & Scoot and MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) capabilities. The L52 calibre 155mm howitzer has a maximum range of fifty-four kilometres and a firing rate of nine rounds per minute. The system can be operated by a crew of two or three.
A prototype will be delivered to the Swiss Army by 2027 for further evaluation and approval. The series production systems will commence in 2031. In addition to the gun vehicles, the contract includes thirty-two ammunition reload containers, training, spares, and logistics. The Swiss contract follows the United Kingdom and German Armies’ selection of AGM on Boxer and the presentation by GDLS-Canada of the AGM on the 10X10 Piranha/LAV as a solution for the Canadian Army’s modernisation of indirect fires.
by Stephen W. Miller
