Sweden Purchases 48 New Archer Vehicle-Mounted Howitzers to Supplement Vacancies
At the Defense and Security Industry Expo DESI 2023 in London on Wednesday, the military procurement agency of Sweden’s Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth approximately $450 million with Bofors, a subsidiary of BAE Systems Group, to purchase 48 new FH77 BW L52 “Archer” 155mm vehicle-mounted howitzers. This purchase aims to fill the gap left by previous vehicle-mounted howitzers that were sold to the United Kingdom and donated to Ukraine.
Sweden had already planned to purchase more “Archers” as early as 2020. However, in 2022, only a letter of intent to purchase 24 vehicles was signed at the National Defense Military and Police Defense Exhibition in Paris, France.
Earlier versions of the “Archer” were built on Volvo chassis. However, the latest version is based on the German Rheinmetall HX2 series 8×8 tactical truck chassis. This vehicle-mounted howitzer system was developed by the Swedish company Bofors (now BAE Systems Bofors) from 1995 to 2009. It is an early version of the FH77 L39 towed 155mm howitzer.
In January of this year, the Swedish government announced a military assistance package to Ukraine, which included 50 CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles and 10 “Archer” 155mm vehicle-mounted howitzers. Two months later, Sweden purchased an additional 14 “Archer” vehicle-mounted howitzers to maintain a sufficient artillery scale. These 14 vehicles came from the inventory of the Swedish Army. Currently, there are only 22 “Archers” left in the Norwegian Army. As a result, Sweden decided to double the number of “Archers” by signing a purchase letter of intent in 2022, bringing the total number of vehicles to 70.
The “Archer” is equipped with a fully automatic magazine that can hold up to 21 rounds and can be fired in three minutes. It is designed to fire for 30 seconds and then quickly relocate to a new firing position for the next 30 seconds. This strategy minimizes the enemy’s ability to effectively return fire. The 155mm FH77B artillery can use various shells, including precision-guided anti-tank shells called BONUS, with a maximum range of 35 kilometers, and the M982 “Excalibur” precision-guided shells, developed in collaboration with Raytheon Company and BAE, with a maximum range of over 50 kilometers. When using conventional artillery shells, the maximum range is 35 kilometers. The “Archer” can be operated by a crew of three soldiers, but due to its high level of automation, it can be operated by as few as one soldier.
The purchase of these 48 new howitzers will enhance Sweden’s military capabilities and ensure the country’s ability to respond to potential threats.