British soldiers have been getting hands-on with their new Archer mobile howitzer – firing the weapon for the first time on a snowy training area in Swedish Lapland.
The Swedish-designed Archer is based on the Bofors FH77 field howitzer, consisting of an automated 155mm 52-calibre gun mounted on a 6×6 articulated hauler and a separate fire control cabin.
It was a case of the weapon going back to its roots as the members of the Royal Artillery fired the gun on a range near Boden in the north of the country, Sweden’s biggest garrison town.
In order to improve survivability, combat units must be able to cooperate effectively, and the Archer represents the next generation of wheeled artillery systems being built to keep up with fast-moving ground forces.
In keeping with tracked self-propelled artillery systems like the AS90, the Archer is designed to “shoot and scoot”.
This means the crew can open fire on a target then quickly move to a new location before being hit by counter-battery fire or enemy ground attack aircraft.
The Army says the Archer can engage a target and then disengage in less than 20 seconds, minimising its chances of being located by the enemy and increasing its survivability.
The weapons system has a crew of up to four, is fully automated and has a firing range in excess of 50km.
Loading, laying and firing is handled from inside an armoured cabin, offering good protection as the crew are kept separate from the ammunition.
The 155mm gun has a rate of fire of 12 rounds every three minutes when used intensively, and can be supplemented by a remote-controlled grenade launcher or heavy machine gun for close-in defence.
Its 6×6 drive train can propel the vehicle up to 70km/h and it has a maximum range of 650km.
The Royal Artillery has taken control of several Archer units already, having handed a number of its tracked AS90s to Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces are also operating the Archer, these guns having been supplied by Sweden.
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