2014 War Against the Islamic State

BONUS 155 mm top-attack submunition projectile in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State

French Task Force Wagram fired four BONUS 155 mm rounds from CAESAR artillery on December 3, 2018, during Operation Chammal support to the Hajin fight against Islamic State forces.

Weapon profileBONUS 155 mm top-attack submunition projectile
SideAnti-ISIS coalition and partner forcesRoleAnti-ArmorFire Support
BONUS 155 mm top-attack submunition projectile, 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 engagement was December 3, 2018, against an Islamic State vehicle column near Hajin.

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

The munition's relevant role was 155 mm top-attack anti-armor fire against armored or vehicle targets.

Sources: Bofors 155mm BONUS Munition, BONUS Mk2 155mm Projectile

Timeline

BONUS 155 mm top-attack submunition projectile 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 and neutralized 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 said BONUS rounds had been used operationally for the first time while Wagram supported the Hajin fight.

    Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports

  3. Later Wagram analysis adds campaign context

    Areion/DSI analysis described Task Force Wagram's Hajin engagement and discussed BONUS as a guided anti-vehicle munition relevant to operations against Islamic State technicals and improvised armored vehicles.

    Sources: Areion Wagram Lessons

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

BONUS is directly documented in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State through French Operation Chammal reporting for late November and early December 2018. Airwars archived the French Ministry of Armed Forces update stating that Task Force Wagram supported Syrian Democratic Forces against Daesh in the Hajin area and that BONUS rounds were used operationally for the first time during that reporting week.

The dated engagement occurred on December 3, 2018. Opex360, citing the French armed forces staff account, reported that French CAESAR artillery fired four BONUS rounds after an Islamic State vehicle column maneuvered around an initial blocking fire; the reported result was eight armored vehicles neutralized.

Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports, Opex360 BONUS in Iraq

Timeline

The documented use sits inside the Hajin phase of the Middle Euphrates River Valley campaign. The French weekly update covered November 28 through December 4, 2018, when Task Force Wagram conducted 61 fire missions from Iraqi territory, including 37 destruction missions.

Coalition strike summaries archived by Airwars show heavy fighting around Hajin during the same week, including December 3 coalition strikes against Islamic State tactical units, supply routes, weapons caches, improvised explosive device facilities, tunnels, heavy equipment, and vehicle storage.

Sources: Airwars December 2018 Reports

Narrative

In this conflict, BONUS appeared as a French coalition artillery munition rather than Islamic State equipment. The available direct-use record identifies Task Force Wagram as the user, CAESAR as the firing system, and Islamic State armored vehicles near Hajin as the target set.

A later Areion/DSI analysis of Task Force Wagram described French artillery as part of the coalition fire-support architecture for local partner forces during the Hajin fighting. It treated BONUS as a relevant anti-vehicle munition for operations against Islamic State technicals and improvised armored vehicles, while the December 3 engagement remains the clearest dated public example.

Manufacturer and U.S. Army material describe BONUS as a 155 mm artillery-launched, fire-and-forget projectile carrying two sensor-fuzed submunitions for armored targets. That design context explains the anti-armor role in the December 2018 reporting, but the conflict-use claim rests on the French operational reporting and coverage of Task Force Wagram.

Sources: Areion Wagram Lessons, Bofors 155mm BONUS Munition, BONUS Mk2 155mm Projectile

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Sources