British Military Receives First Archer Howitzer in ‘Quickest Procurement Ever’

The British Military has taken supply of its first Archer wheeled artillery system after simply six months of signing a contract with Sweden.

The weapon, to be fielded by 1 Deep Recce Strike Brigade, will quickly fill the aptitude hole created by the donation of AS90 self-propelled weapons to Ukraine.

In keeping with UK navy functionality official Colonel Stuart Nasse, the supply marks one of many quickest procurements of a fancy system that the nation has ever witnessed.

“In February, I used to be given orders by the Military Headquarters to go after Archer. And 48 days later, we had been on contract,” he stated. “We labored collaboratively at some important tempo to realize this acquisition in document time.”

The primary Archer unit will bear a sequence of area assessments and analysis on the best way to attaining preliminary working functionality in 2024.

A complete of 14 Swedish Archer 155-millimeter artillery techniques will likely be handed over to the British Military by subsequent spring.

‘Insupportable Hole’

In January, the workplace of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak introduced that it was sending 14 foremost battle tanks and 30 AS90 self-propelled weapons to Kyiv.

The transfer has created an “insupportable hole” within the military’s 155-mm Shut Assist functionality.

In keeping with the military, the hole wanted to be bridged “with a view to meet the UK’s dedication to the NATO New Pressure Mannequin,” which goals to create a bigger pool of high-readiness forces throughout varied domains.

“We had been lucky our Swedish allies had a chance for us to buy a number of the Archer artillery system. That meant we may transfer rapidly, to grab the chance and purchase the brand new functionality,” Nasse defined.

Concerning the Archer Howitzer

A next-generation artillery system, the Archer is a extra cellular model of the Haubits FH77 howitzer that includes an extended vary of fireplace.

It wants solely 30 seconds to spring into motion and hearth, and solely 30 extra to be on its method, based on producer BAE Methods Bofors.

Moreover, the weapon can hearth six rounds and transfer 500 meters (1,640 ft) in lower than two minutes, whereas the crew stays protected inside an armored cabin.

It could possibly hearth typical artillery ammunition, in addition to the BONUS anti-armor and Excalibur precision guided munition.

Nasse stated the UK plans to acquire one other 10 Archers to have a full regiment of functionality.

“The Archer is an interim resolution till the supply of Cell Fires Platform Mission on the finish of the last decade, a separate program which is the substitute program for the heavy artillery, this isn’t the substitute for the AS90,” he clarified.