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FEINDEF 2025: Spain Considers Replacing its Hundred M109 Howitzers with AGM Artillery Module on Piranha Chassis.
During the international defense exhibition Feindef, which opened on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Madrid, Spanish authorities may be taking a decisive step in their artillery modernization process. Among the systems on display, the Radhaubitze self-propelled artillery system, presented by Santa Bárbara Sistemas, the Spanish subsidiary of General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), could emerge as a leading candidate to replace the M109 howitzers that have served in the Spanish Army for over fifty years. Presented as a combination of a wheeled chassis and an automated artillery turret, this platform aligns with both industrial and operational priorities that have taken shape over the past year within Spain’s Ministry of Defense.
The Radhaubitze is built on the 10x10 Piranha Heavy Mission Carrier armored chassis, introduced in 2024, and incorporates the 155mm/L52 Artillery Gun Module (AGM) developed by KNDS (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The Radhaubitze is built on the 10x10 Piranha Heavy Mission Carrier armored chassis, introduced in 2024, and incorporates the 155mm/L52 Artillery Gun Module (AGM) developed by KNDS. This hybrid configuration, combining strategic mobility with automated firepower, matches one of the key orientations expressed by the Ministry of Defense in July 2024, when it publicly outlined requirements for the future artillery fleet: 109 tracked and 36 wheeled self-propelled systems. As a wheeled solution equipped with the same gun as the Donar, the Radhaubitze presents a consistent response to these specifications, focusing on operational flexibility and technological continuity.
The official unveiling of the Radhaubitze comes as Madrid seeks to replace approximately 100 M109A5 self-propelled howitzers still in service platform dating back to the 1970s. These systems currently represent the only self-propelled artillery capability in the Spanish Army, which also operates over 250 towed artillery pieces, including 105mm L118 howitzers, Model 56 guns, locally developed SBT 155/52 SIAC howitzers, and various types of mortars.
This project is part of a broader modernization strategy launched several years ago. In July 2024, it was confirmed that the Ministry of Defense was evaluating two primary options, both offered by Santa Bárbara Sistemas. The first is the Donar, a tracked solution integrating the same AGM module on an ASCOD 2 chassis. The second is the Piranha 4 10x10, a wheeled vehicle also fitted with the AGM turret. Both systems share a common technological base, which facilitates maintenance, training, and logistics, while addressing a wide range of operational scenarios through the complementary characteristics of tracked and wheeled mobility.
The Donar provides a tracked alternative suited for challenging terrain and sustained operations, while wheeled platforms such as the Piranha 4 and now the Radhaubitze offer faster deployment capabilities, particularly in expeditionary contexts or long-range road movements. Both systems emphasize features such as automatic loading, modular design, precision targeting, and integration into modern command-and-control networks.
The presentation of the Radhaubitze at Feindef also reflects a focus on enhancing national industrial capabilities, as Santa Bárbara Sistemas holds a central role in Spain’s defense technological and industrial base. This industrial approach aims to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers, encourage technology transfers, and strengthen domestic expertise in land-based armament, particularly in the artillery sector.
Spain’s consideration of M109 replacements also unfolds against an international backdrop of renewed high-intensity conflict, especially in Ukraine. Operational feedback from such theaters has highlighted the importance of precision artillery, mobility, and logistical autonomy, criteria that the Radhaubitze appears to address.
The unveiling of the Radhaubitze in Madrid could represent a pivotal moment in Spain’s effort to renew its self-propelled artillery capabilities. Based on a modern wheeled chassis and a proven artillery module, the system reflects a convergence of operational and industrial priorities for the Ministry of Defense. If selected, the Radhaubitze would either complement or compete with the Donar to equip the Spanish Army for the coming decades, as part of a broader procurement program involving 145 self-propelled howitzers. The future of the program will now depend on budgetary decisions, upcoming trials, and the assessments drawn from the demonstrations scheduled during the Feindef exhibition.