The Philippine Army (PA) confirmed Saturday, Oct. 1, that eight Autonomous Truck Mounted Howitzer System (ATMOS 2000) 155mm self-propelled guns -- the biggest guns in the arsenal of the Army -- have arrived in General Santos City to enhance counter-terrorism operations in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson, said the ATMOS guns arrived at the Makar Port last Sept. 29.
The heavy artillery pieces were transported by a Philippine Navy vessel that sailed from the Naval Base Heracleo Alano in Sangley Point, Cavite City on Sept. 24 — three days following a send-off ceremony at the PA headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
The Army's 10th Field Artillery “Rolling Thunder” Battalion serves as the mother unit of the self-propelled howitzers. They will be placed under the operational control of the Joint Task Force Central to support counter-terrorist operations of the 6th Infantry Division (6ID) while deployed in Mindanao.
The ATMOS 2000 can deliver accurate fires to a range of up to 41 kilometers as it is equipped with automatic loading and a digital fire control.
“An advantage of ATMOS is that it offers high accuracy and 'shoot and scoot' operation yet can operate on the existing road network and bridges found in the country. They are able to deploy even in rugged terrain while being able to respond to mission demands more quickly than towed howitzers” Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, 6ID commander, said.
Department of National Defense (DND) Officer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. described the ATMOS 2000 as "game-changers" as they will "certainly bolster the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s (AFP) internal security operations for a decisive victory against enemies of the state."
The PA acquired the ATMOS howitzer units in December 2021 from Israeli defense company, Elbit Systems.