2014 War Against the Islamic State

Bofors 155mm BONUS Munition in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State

French Task Force Wagram fired BONUS 155 mm rounds from CAESAR howitzers during Operation Chammal in December 2018, using the munition against Islamic State vehicles near Hajin.

Weapon profileBofors 155mm BONUS munition
SideAnti-ISIS coalition and partner forcesRoleFire SupportAnti-ArmorInterdiction
Bofors 155mm BONUS munition, 155 mm artillery-launched, fire-and-forget anti-armor munition, Munitions - 2014 War Against the Islamic State
Image source: File:BONUS 155 mm.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
French Task Force Wagram used BONUS rounds during Operation Chammal in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State.

Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports, Opex360 BONUS in Iraq

The dated public incident was December 3, 2018, against an Islamic State vehicle column in the Hajin area.

Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports, Opex360 BONUS in Iraq

The firing system was French CAESAR artillery operated by Task Force Wagram.

Sources: Opex360 BONUS in Iraq, Areion Wagram Lessons

Later analysis describes BONUS use as part of Wagram's anti-vehicle fires against ISIS technicals and improvised armored vehicles around Hajin.

Sources: Areion Wagram Lessons

Timeline

Bofors 155mm BONUS munition In 2014 War Against the Islamic State

  1. Task Force Wagram fires BONUS near Hajin

    French reporting said Task Force Wagram fired four BONUS rounds from CAESAR artillery against an Islamic State vehicle column, neutralizing eight armored vehicles.

    Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports, Opex360 BONUS in Iraq

  2. French weekly update reports first operational BONUS use

    The French Operation Chammal update for November 28 to December 4 described Wagram support to the Hajin battle and identified the week's BONUS employment as the munition's first operational use.

    Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports

  3. Later Wagram analysis adds campaign context

    Areion/DSI analysis described the broader Wagram engagement around Hajin, including BONUS use against Islamic State technicals and improvised armored vehicles.

    Sources: Areion Wagram Lessons

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

French use of BONUS in the war against the Islamic State is documented in the December 2018 reporting cycle for Operation Chammal. Airwars archived the French Ministry of Armed Forces weekly update stating that Task Force Wagram was supporting Syrian Democratic Forces against Daesh in the Hajin area and that BONUS rounds were used operationally for the first time that week.

Opex360, citing the French armed forces staff account, reported that on December 3, 2018, after an Islamic State vehicle column was detected and maneuvered around an initial blocking fire, Wagram was ordered to destroy the column. The report said four BONUS rounds fired by French CAESAR artillery neutralized eight armored vehicles.

Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports, Opex360 BONUS in Iraq

Timeline

The key dated incident is December 3, 2018, during the Hajin fighting in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. The French weekly update covered the November 28 to December 4 period, when Wagram recorded 61 firing missions from Iraqi territory, including destruction missions in support of the anti-ISIS fight.

Coalition strike reporting for the same period places heavy fighting around Hajin, with multiple coalition strikes against ISIS tactical units, vehicles, fighting positions, routes, and support sites between December 2 and December 8.

Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports

Narrative

BONUS appeared in this conflict as a French coalition artillery munition, not as Islamic State equipment. The available direct-use evidence identifies Task Force Wagram as the user, CAESAR as the firing system, and the target set as Islamic State vehicles during the Hajin campaign.

A later Areion/DSI analysis of Wagram's engagement at Hajin described French artillery as part of the coalition fire-support architecture for local partner forces, including the Syrian Democratic Forces. It said BONUS was used during the operations against ISIS technicals and improvised armored vehicles and gave a broader figure of 15 BONUS rounds fired during a 15-day period, while the December 3 incident remains the clearest dated public example.

Manufacturer material describes BONUS as a 155 mm carrier projectile that releases two sensor-fuzed top-attack submunitions. That design context explains why French reporting categorized the December 2018 employment as anti-vehicle or anti-armor artillery fires, but the conflict-use claim rests on the French operational reporting and secondary coverage of Wagram.

Sources: Areion Wagram Lessons, Bofors 155mm BONUS Munition, 155mm BONUS KNDS

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Sources