Streamlining the Future Battlefield: The Case for a Canadian Next Gen 155 mm Tank-Howitzer Hybrid

Adapting Military Systems for the AI Era: Speed, Firepower, and Simplified Logistics

In an era defined by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, robotic threats, and drone warfare, traditional military hardware faces unprecedented challenges. Today’s battlefields demand platforms that combine superior mobility, robust armour, exceptional firepower, and streamlined logistics.

Current army setups, characterized by a multitude of specialized vehicles — each with distinct calibers, maintenance requirements, and logistical chains — introduce unnecessary complexity, slow battlefield responsiveness, and increased vulnerability to technologically sophisticated threats.

This complexity not only hampers tactical effectiveness but also heightens operational risks by exposing crews during loading operations and complicating repair and maintenance logistics. The future battlefield demands a radical shift toward integrated, multi-functional platforms capable of combining direct and indirect firepower within a single heavily armoured, highly mobile system.

In this article, we propose upgrading military doctrine through a revolutionary 155 mm Tank-Howitzer hybrid platform, merging frontline tank capabilities and artillery support into one streamlined, AI-enhanced vehicle. This innovation promises to simplify logistics, enhance battlefield mobility, improve crew survivability, and provide superior firepower adaptability essential to dominate emerging AI-driven battlefields.

Current Issues Highlighted:

Complexity in Logistics and Maintenance: Different systems, calibers, and specialized roles complicate logistics, training, repair, and battlefield sustainment.
Mobility and Exposure: Systems must prioritize mobility and minimize crew exposure during loading/unloading operations — particularly vital as AI-driven drones and robotic threats emerge.
Lack of a Multi-functional Platform: Current military doctrine separates heavy artillery (155 mm howitzers) from main battle tanks (typically 120 mm smoothbore guns), each optimized for distinct tasks. We suggest a multi-functional 155 mm system to simplify logistics.

Understanding the Platforms We Consider to Merge:

K9 Thunder (South Korea):

Self-propelled howitzer, optimized for artillery fire support.
High mobility, quick set-up and fire operations, but not intended as a frontline tank.

KF51 Panther (Germany):

Main battle tank (MBT), primarily optimized for direct fire engagement, manoeuvrability, protection, and anti-armour warfare.
Features a 130 mm main gun, different from standard NATO 120 mm tank guns or 155 mm artillery shells.
Prioritizes front-line combat capabilities over indirect fire capabilities.

Our Proposed Solution – A Multi-functional 155 mm Tank-Howitzer

Hybrid:

We suggest a vehicle that merges the roles of an MBT and a self-propelled artillery system into one platform equipped with a standardized 155 mm gun. Let’s examine this carefully:

Pros:

Simplified Logistics: A unified ammunition and maintenance supply chain.
Reduced Complexity: Fewer specialized vehicle types lead to more streamlined training, parts supply, and field repairs.
Increased Mobility and Survivability: Fewer static artillery positions, better tactical adaptability on the AI-driven battlefield.

Challenges:

Ballistics and Gun Design:

A 155 mm howitzer is designed primarily for indirect, long-range fire — high-angle trajectories with lower muzzle velocity.
MBT guns (120 – 130 mm) focus on direct fire, high muzzle velocity, armour penetration, accuracy, and rapid-fire capabilities.
Combining both into a single gun requires complex trade-offs in barrel design, ammunition compatibility, recoil management, and turret mechanism.

Armour and Weight:

An MBT needs extremely heavy frontal armour for frontline engagements, adding substantial weight.
SPGs (Self-Propelled Guns like K9 Thunder) often sacrifice heavy armour for speed and mobility because they’re not usually exposed to direct enemy tank fire.
Combining roles would significantly increase vehicle weight or compromise armour protection — both tactically risky.

Fire Control and Crew Training:

Separate skillsets for tank crews (rapid maneuver, short-range engagements, armor duels) versus artillery crews (long-range ballistic calculations, indirect fire planning).
A combined role vehicle might necessitate higher crew training complexity, offsetting logistics simplicity.

A Feasible Hybrid Alternative:

A more realistic compromise might be a medium-armoured, tracked or wheeled mobile artillery system with a modular, automated turret capable of both direct and indirect fire (like a heavily upgraded AMOS/NEMO mortar system but scaled up to 155 mm caliber):

**Wheeled or Tracked Platform (e.g., Boxer, Lynx, or a tracked hull):**

Moderate armour protection for rapid deployment and direct-fire survivability.
Modular armour kits for scaling protection depending on mission profiles.

Automated 155 mm Gun System:

Rapid-loading automated turret with both direct-fire shells (e.g., guided rounds like Excalibur) and indirect-fire artillery shells.
Short barrel for manoeuvrability in urban or constrained environments or longer barrel configurations depending on the mission.

Networked Fire Control System:

AI-assisted fire control to streamline targeting, firing solutions, ammunition handling, and predictive targeting.
Integration with drone-based ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) for quick responsiveness and threat assessment.

Why Hasn’t This Been Widely Adopted Yet?

Military planners historically preferred specialized platforms, each optimized for distinct battlefield roles, leading to current separation in vehicle types.
Advances in automation, AI integration, modular weapon systems, and ammunition technologies now potentially enable a viable multi-functional system — making our proposal increasingly practical in a rapidly evolving battlefield environment.

Conclusion, But Not the Final Recommendation:

Our concept of integrating direct-fire and indirect-fire capabilities in one armoured, mobile platform — simplifying logistics, improving battlefield mobility, and adapting to AI threats — is forward-thinking and strategically relevant.

Practical adoption would involve overcoming trade-offs in firepower specialization, crew training complexity, and engineering challenges. A modular, automated, AI-assisted platform could become the next-generation solution, potentially revolutionizing artillery and tank doctrine.

This hybrid concept warrants further exploration, particularly given rapid advances in automation and modular technology, and aligns well with future battlefield realities dominated by fast-moving robotic and AI-driven threats.

Revolutionizing Tank Doctrine with “A Fully Armoured, Wheeled, 155 mm, Tank-Howitzer Hybrid”

If we significantly reduce the vehicle’s profile and crew numbers through automated loading and advanced systems, we can reclaim substantial weight savings. These savings could then be re-invested directly into heavier armour protection, possibly enabling full-tank armour levels even on a wheeled chassis.

Why “Medium Armour” Was Our Initial Position:

Traditional 155 mm artillery systems (like K9 Thunder) prioritize mobility and range over direct-fire armour protection. Thus, heavy armour was typically unnecessary or counterproductive due to weight.
Combining heavy armour with heavy artillery traditionally led to very large and extremely heavy tracked vehicles, resulting in high logistical complexity, slow speed, and operational limitations.

However, Let’s Change the Equation a bit Further:

Automated loading, advanced AI-driven targeting, and significantly reduced crew requirements (e.g., two crew instead of four) directly address this traditional trade-off. Here’s how:

1. Reduced Internal Volume and Weight

Automated loading drastically shrinks the turret and overall vehicle size, thus decreasing total armour coverage area.
Fewer crew members mean fewer support systems, seats, hatches, life-support, and protective compartments.

2. Wheeled Platform Weight Advantage

A wheeled platform is inherently lighter than tracked systems, allowing for savings in structural complexity and drive-train weight.
Modern wheeled combat vehicles (like Boxer, AMV, or Stryker-based platforms) have proven capable of handling considerable armour and large weaponry, while still remaining relatively agile.

3. Reinvestment of Saved Weight

The savings from reduced crew, automated loading, compact turret, and wheeled chassis directly translate into available weight capacity for heavier armour and modular armour packages.
Full-tank-level armour protection (comparable to current MBTs such as Leopard 2, Challenger 3, Abrams, or KF51 Panther) becomes realistically achievable in this scenario.

4. Advantages of a Low-Profile Design

Smaller silhouette reduces targeting vulnerability, improving survivability.
A lower center of gravity enhances vehicle stability, enabling effective recoil absorption from a large-caliber (155 mm) gun even on a wheeled platform.

Practical Feasibility

Modern technology makes this feasible:

Advanced composite armour: Lightweight, modular armour systems and active protection systems (APS) such as Trophy or Rheinmetall ADS enhance protection without excessive weight.
Next-generation suspension: Advanced, adaptive suspension systems (e.g., hydro-pneumatic) provide stability and recoil absorption for large-caliber weapons on wheeled chassis.
Integrated AI and automation: Drastically reducing crew and internal systems creates significant additional weight capacity.

Fully Armoured, Wheeled, 155 mm Tank-Howitzer Hybrid

Crew: 2 operators (driver and commander/gunner), fully protected within an armoured capsule.
Platform: Highly mobile, 8×8 wheeled chassis with advanced suspension and drive-train.
Weaponry: Automated 155 mm main gun system with capability for direct-fire (anti-tank, urban combat) and indirect-fire (traditional artillery missions).
Armour Level: Equivalent to modern main battle tanks, reinforced by APS, composite, and reactive armour modules, scaled appropriately due to small profile.
Height/Profile: Significantly lower and more compact than traditional SPGs due to automation, reducing vulnerability.
AI-Assisted Targeting and Logistics: Fully networked and integrated battlefield-awareness systems.

Conclusion:

By leveraging automation, AI integration, and modern lightweight materials, our concept does not have to remain medium-armoured. A heavily armoured, wheeled, and compact 155 mm multi-functional hybrid vehicle is indeed practically achievable and strategically advantageous, aligning well with emerging battlefield conditions dominated by robotic and AI threats. This approach has significant potential to redefine armoured warfare and artillery doctrines, simplifying logistics, and dramatically enhancing battlefield responsiveness and protection.

o1: Rheinmetall manufactures the KF51 Panther (*needs more ammo guys).

Suggested Partnership: South Korea, Rheinmetall Canada, Rheinmetall Germany