Archer - FH77BW L52
The UK has agreed with Sweden on the purchase of Archer self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) as part of the replenishment of the stockpiles of weapons transferred to Ukraine. This is stated in a statement released on 16 March 2023 by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom. The first 14 Archer self-propelled guns will be transferred to the British army in March, they will be "fully ready for use" by April 2024. As specified in the statement, these artillery mounts will replace the AS-90 self-propelled howitzers, 32 units of which were supplied by London for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Designed and manufactured by BAE Systems Bofors in Sweden, the Archer has double the maximum range of the AS90, greater operational mobility and combat readiness, and a shorter time to combat," the Defense Ministry said. The department explained that when using extended-range ammunition, the installation is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 50 km Other advantages of the Swedish system in the British Ministry of Defense called its high speed - 70 km / h versus 53 km / h, as well as a smaller crew - 3- 4 people versus five for the AS90.
In February 2023, The Sun newspaper, citing a source in the United Kingdom artillery forces, reported that the British army was without heavy artillery due to the transfer of this type of weapon to Ukraine and was considering purchasing from Sweden and South Korea. A possible option to replace the AS90, in addition to the Archer, was the Korean self-propelled artillery installation K9 Thunder. The tabloid also reported that British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace had previously spoken out in favor of speeding up an £800m ($965m) "Mobile Firing Systems Programme" funding program.
BAE Systems unveiled the new ARCHER Mobile Howitzer at DSEI that is highly adaptable to diverse terrains and battlefield conditions, giving it the flexibility needed to meet a wide range of mission requirements for militaries around the world. The key is a modular design that allows it to be integrated onto different truck chassis and then seamlessly introduced into existing vehicle fleets.
The ARCHER’s modularity makes it a cost-effective solution that provides critical battlefield capabilities. The ARCHER system displayed at DSEI 2019 is mounted on a Rheinmetall RMMV HX2 8x8 truck – meaning it could be common to systems already in service with the British Army. The original ARCHER, first delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces in 2013, is mounted on a Volvo A30 6X6 articulated hauler. “This new international version of the ARCHER can be easily integrated onto a variety of different chassis, allowing the customer to specify the vehicle best suited to their needs,” said Ulf Einefors, director of marketing and sales at BAE Systems Weapon Systems business in Sweden. “We’re pleased to display this new version at DSEI to demonstrate the versatility that ARCHER could add to any allied military force.”
The long-range, self-propelled ARCHER brings speed, mobility, and high rates of fire to support ground troops. From the safety of ARCHER’s armored cabin, a three-person crew needs less than 30 seconds to deploy or displace the system, making ARCHER the ultimate shoot-andscoot artillery system. As the most advanced wheeled 155mm, 52-calibre system in operation today, ARCHER features a 21-round auto-loader and onboard ballistic calculation. The system can fire up to eight rounds per minute at ranges approaching 40 kilometres with conventional 155mm ammunition and 60 kilometres with precision guided munitions such as Excalibur.
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