Artillery

M150 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile

Also known as
  • M150 Smoke HC
  • M150 HC smoke round
  • M150 HC smoke projectile
  • M150 HC

The M150 is an Israeli 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile from Elbit Systems, built for screening, obscuration, and spotting without white phosphorus. Elbit's product sheet lists five HC smoke canisters, about three minutes of effect, and a NATO NSN, while ARES traces the design to the M483A1 carrier projectile and compares it with M825-series white-phosphorus smoke rounds. Open-source investigations identify M150 rounds in Gaza during the May 2021 escalation and the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

M150 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile, 155 mm HC smoke projectile, Artillery
Image source: What we know about rumored images of Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo's names written on Israeli bombs

Role in Conflicts

2021 Israel-Palestine Crisis
Fire Support
Side
Israel

During the May 2021 escalation, Al-Haq and Forensic Architecture identified the munition used in the 15 May Khudair warehouse shelling in Beit Lahiya as M150 Smoke HC 155 mm ammunition fired by Israeli forces.

Documented Gaza Records

Open-source records identify M150 smoke projectiles in Gaza across two separate escalations, with each claim tied to munition markings or incident reconstruction rather than a generic 155 mm smoke label.

DateConflict contextDocumented M150 evidence
2021-05-152021 Israel-Palestine CrisisAl-Haq and Forensic Architecture identified M150 Smoke HC 155 mm ammunition in the Khudair warehouse shelling in Beit Lahiya.
2023-11-252023 Israel-Hamas WarOSMP cataloged a delivered, unfunctioned M150 155 mm artillery projectile in Gaza.
2025-08-272023 Israel-Hamas War documentationSnopes matched Gaza-bound projectile photos shared online to Israeli M150 smoke-projectile markings.

Source basis: Al-Haq and Forensic Architecture Khudair Warehouse investigation; OSMP 520 M150 smoke projectile in Gaza; What we know about rumored images of Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo's names written on Israeli bombs.

Design Notes

The M150 is a base-ejection 155 mm smoke round rather than a white-phosphorus projectile. Open-source identification work and Elbit's product sheet align on the key design features.

  • Elbit's product sheet lists five HC smoke canisters, about three minutes of smoke, and roughly 22 km range.
  • ARES says the M150 is developed and produced domestically by Elbit Systems and is based on the American M483A1 carrier projectile.
  • The same ARES article notes that M150 smoke canisters are ejected from the base of the projectile and remain intact after functioning.

Source basis: M150 Smoke Projectile; Differential identification of M825 WP and M150 HC smoke artillery projectiles.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Israel
Type
155 mm HC smoke projectile
Service note
Contemporary
Developed from
M483A1 carrier projectile

Specifications

Caliber
155 mm
Smoke compound
Hexachloroethane/zinc (HC)
Payload
5 smoke canisters
Duration
About 3 minutes
Range
About 22 km
NSN
1320-31-018-1508
Length with fuze
899 mm
Length without fuze
801 mm
Muzzle velocity
About 900 m/s from a 52-caliber gun at 21C with 6 UMACS
Variants

Open-source munition-identification work treats the M150 and M825-series as adjacent Israeli 155 mm smoke projectiles built around the M483A1 carrier projectile, but with different smoke payloads and effects.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
M825A1 155 mm White-Phosphorus Smoke Projectile, 155 mm white-phosphorus smoke projectile, ArtilleryM825A1 155 mm White-Phosphorus Smoke ProjectileAdjacent 155 mm smoke projectile

ARES compares the M150 with M825-series projectiles because both use the M483A1 carrier projectile; the M150 carries five HC smoke canisters, while M825-series rounds use white-phosphorus felt wedges.

Sources: Differential identification of M825 WP and M150 HC smoke artillery projectiles

Timeline

M150 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile Key Events

  1. Elbit publicly describes the round

    Elbit's NDIA presentation describes the M150 as a 155 mm HC smoke round built to deliver five smoke canisters, about three minutes of screening, and roughly 22 km range.

    Sources: Comprehensive Advanced Artillery Solutions

  2. Khudair warehouse shelling investigated

    Al-Haq and Forensic Architecture identified the munition used in the Beit Lahiya warehouse shelling as M150 Smoke HC 155 mm ammunition.

    Sources: Al-Haq and Forensic Architecture Khudair Warehouse investigation

  3. OSMP records M150 projectile in Gaza

    The Open Source Munitions Portal cataloged a delivered, unfunctioned M150 155 mm artillery projectile in Gaza during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

    Sources: OSMP 520 M150 smoke projectile in Gaza

  4. ARES details the M150 and M825 relationship

    ARES published a technical comparison showing that the M150 and M825-series projectiles both use the M483A1 carrier projectile, while the M150 carries five HC smoke canisters.

    Sources: Differential identification of M825 WP and M150 HC smoke artillery projectiles

  5. Snopes links Gaza photos to M150 use

    Snopes matched online photos of Gaza-bound projectiles to Israeli M150 smoke rounds, reinforcing the round's documented appearance in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

    Sources: What we know about rumored images of Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo's names written on Israeli bombs

How It Differs From M825-series

ARES compares the M150 with the Israeli M825-series because the two rounds share the M483A1 carrier projectile but carry different smoke compositions and payloads.

FeatureM150M825-series
Smoke compositionHC canistersWhite-phosphorus wedges
Payload5 smoke canisters116 felt wedges
Visual effectFive burning elements fall from the baseMany burning wedges create denser snake-like trails
Operational roleScreening and obscuration without phosphorScreening and marking with white phosphorus

Source basis: Differential identification of M825 WP and M150 HC smoke artillery projectiles.

Media

M150 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile Videos

M150 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile Images

M150 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile, 155 mm HC smoke projectile, Artillery - view 1
Source: What we know about rumored images of Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo's names written on Israeli bombs
M150 155 mm hexachloroethane smoke projectile, 155 mm HC smoke projectile, Artillery - view 2
Source: What we know about rumored images of Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo's names written on Israeli bombs
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Sources

M150 Smoke ProjectilePublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer background and M150 specifications, including the 155 mm HC smoke projectile's 5-canister payload, duration, range, NSN, dimensions, and muzzle velocity. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Comprehensive Advanced Artillery SolutionsPublisher: Elbit Systems, Land | Note: Supports the 2019 public description of the M150 smoke round and broader Elbit artillery-ammunition background. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Differential identification of M825 WP and M150 HC smoke artillery projectilesPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports M150 technical background, the M150/M825-series comparison, and the 2023 Israel-Hamas War context for Gaza-recovered M150 identification work. | Accessed: 2026-07-01What we know about rumored images of Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo's names written on Israeli bombsPublisher: Snopes | Note: In the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, Snopes documented Gaza-bound projectile photos from Haim Gozali and matched the markings to Israeli 155 mm M150 smoke projectiles, indicating use by Israeli forces; it also provides the image provenance for the posted projectile photos. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Al-Haq and Forensic Architecture Khudair Warehouse investigationPublisher: Al-Haq | Note: 2021 Israel-Palestine Crisis: supports the identification of M150 Smoke HC 155 mm ammunition in the May 15, 2021 Khudair warehouse shelling in Beit Lahiya and attributes the attack to Israeli forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-01OSMP 520 M150 smoke projectile in GazaPublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: supports direct identification of a delivered, unfunctioned M150 155 mm artillery projectile in Gaza on November 25, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-01OSMP 513 M150 smoke projectile in GazaPublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: supports direct identification of a tentative M150-series 155 mm smoke projectile in Gaza on December 11, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-01