Australia’s Department of Defence has finalized the acquisition of a new anti-tank artillery round, the SMArt 155 developed by German firm Gesellschaft fur Intelligente Wirksysteme mbH (GIWS).

The new artillery round is to ensure that Australian Defence Force (ADF) troops can be protected against attack from modern armored vehicles.

It replaces an existing but obsolescent capability, the Copperhead laser-guided 155mm artillery shell, which is at the end of its service life.

The SMArt 155 is a sensor-fused precision munition that has been developed for use against tanks and other armored vehicles in all weather and terrain environments. Each SMArt 155 artillery shell delivers two sensor-fused projectiles, the government said in a statement.

The SMArt 155’s capacity for autonomous target detection makes it very accurate against specific targets. It uses a range of sensors to detect a target and is designed to be effective against heavily armored vehicles rather than personnel. As a result, it poses little risk to non-combatant civilians, the statement said.

Independent, reliable and redundant self-destruction mechanisms are incorporated into the SMArt 155. If a target is not detected, the SMArt 155 has redundant mechanisms that will cause it to self-destruct, thus eliminating the threat to civilians from explosive remnants of war. In the unlikely event of the redundant self-destruct mechanisms not functioning as intended, a self neutralization mechanism will render the projectile inert.

The acquisition of SMArt 155 is consistent with Australia’s obligations under international humanitarian law, and takes into account the government’s commitment to avoid humanitarian hazards.

The acquisition is valued at approximately $12 million. The items being acquired include the SMArt155 projectile and the associated propelling charge, fuze, and inductive fuze setter. The delivery is expected to begin in late 2007.

The United States, Switzerland, Germany, and Greece, have also acquired, or are in the process of acquiring, the SMArt 155 system.