November: Delivery of the New Romach System

The new artillery rocket system, the "Romach" by IMI, has a range of 35 kilometers and a pin-point accuracy

November: Delivery of the New Romach System

“Menatetz” MLRS

Final preparations are under way for the delivery of a new weapon system to the IDF: the “Romach” artillery rocket system will become a part of the arsenal of the IDF Artillery Corps.

The Artillery Corps will once again employ rockets carrying a high explosive warhead after a 20-year spell during which the 334th battalion only employed the “Menatetz” MLRS rocket system, which launches cluster rockets and trajectory-correcting (TCS – Trajectory Correction System) cluster rockets.

The Romach system was developed by IMI for engaging targets at ranges of up to 35 kilometers with an accuracy of less than ten meters. This degree of accuracy is achieved using a GPS-based guidance mechanism. The goal specified for this rocket system is the ability to hit a two-story building or a human target at the aforesaid ranges.

The Romach system will be delivered to and assimilated by the Artillery Corps’ 334th battalion alongside the Menatetz rockets. It will be launched from the same platform – the M-270 Bradley. The “cassette” containing the rocket launchers may be changed from Menatetz to Romach. The process of replacing the launcher “cassette” may be accomplished within minutes, including the installation of the relevant computer systems for the new weapon system.

Artillery Corps sources said that another factor that makes the new rocket system suitable for urban warfare is the terminal angle at which the rocket actually hits the target – from above, unlike a missile, which has a flat trajectory and cannot hit obscured targets, or causes excessive collateral damage.

The same sources said further that the motivation for acquiring a weapon system of this type was the need to provide backing to the IAF during the initial stages of a future war, while it handles the enemy’s surface-to-air missile threat. “The intention is to provide the land forces with an independent to fully autonomous capability of their own for dealing with targets within the same spaces.”

The Artillery Corps’ 334th battalion will be the first of several battalions to which the new Romach system would be delivered.

The intention is to include a rocket battalion (with both Menatetz and Romach capabilities) in every maneuvering division of the IDF.

The Romach and Menatetz battalions will replace some of the Artillery Corps’ 155mm tube artillery battalions.