The British Army Has Completed The First Live Firing Of The Archer Self-Propelled Howitzer System During NATO Exercises
The British Army’s 19th Regiment Royal Artillery (also known as The Scottish Gunners or Highland Gunners) has completed the first live firing of the next-generation Archer self-propelled howitzer system. The demonstration, which represents a significant milestone in the British Army’s transition from tracked self-propelled guns to wheeled self-propelled guns, took place in Arctic conditions during Exercise Dynamic Front 25 in Finland, one of NATO’s largest and most comprehensive artillery exercises in Europe.
Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard highlighted the significance of the achievement: “The successful live firing of the powerful Archer Mobile Howitzer shows we are equipping our Armed Forces with the latest battle-winning weaponry to help keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad.”
Also demonstrated in the exercise were the enemy artillery detection radar, TAIPAN, and the UK’s Multiple Launch Rocket System, which can fire up to 12 rockets or missiles in less than a minute.
Archer was ordered in March 2023 under a government-to-government agreement with Sweden to partially replace AS-90 systems donated to Ukraine by the UK. The purchase included 14 artillery units, logistics support containers, an initial ammunition suite, a training package, and an initial support package. The first Archer self-propelled howitzer system arrived in the UK in October 2023, with deliveries completed in July 2024.
However, the Archer artillery systems will serve as an interim solution to meet the Royal Artillery’s Mobile Fires Platform requirement until the Boxer-based RCH 155 (Remote Controlled Howitzer 155mm) self-propelled howitzers, which will be jointly produced by the UK and Germany, enter service. It is not yet clear how many of these remote-controlled howitzers the UK will procure, but it plans to introduce them into service before 2030.
Archer is a self-propelled howitzer system built by BAE Systems Bofors in Sweden on the Bofors FH77 heritage, mounted on a 6×6 VOLVO articulated carrier chassis and consisting of a 155mm 52 caliber gun. A crew of three or four usually operates the system, and all loading, deployment, and firing operations are carried out from inside the armored cabin. The vehicle can carry 21 155mm rounds in a fully automatic magazine and can fire them all in less than three minutes. Although the effective range of the system varies depending on the projectiles used, it can successfully hit targets at a maximum distance of 50 kilometers. In addition, thanks to its wheeled design, it can move to the action position much faster than tracked platforms and can be back in action less than 30 seconds after the mission is completed.