Archer artillery system

The Archer artillery system, or Archer – FH77BW L52, or Artillerisystem 08, is a Swedish self-propelled howitzer system. The main piece of the system is a fully automated 155 mm L52 (52-calibre-long) gun-howitzer and a M151 Protector remote-controlled weapon station mounted on a modified 6×6 chassis of the Volvo A30D all-terrain articulated hauler. The crew and engine compartment is armoured and the cab is fitted with bullet and fragmentation-resistant windows. The system also includes an ammunition resupply vehicle, a support vehicle, Bonus submunitions, and M982 Excalibur guided projectiles.

Well-designed for counter battery strike purposes, the long range and the ability to fire three shells and depart the location before the first shell lands enables the crew to perform with low risk of detection.

Development
The project began in 1995 as earlier studies for a self-propelled system based on the existing FH 77 howitzer. Further test systems received the designation FH 77BD and FH 77BW. By 2004, two prototypes had been ordered based on a lengthened version of the FH 77B mounted on a modified Volvo Construction Equipment A30D six-wheel drive articulated haul truck.

In September 2006, BAE Systems Bofors received a SEK 40 million contract from the FMV (Försvarets materielverk, Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) for detailed design work on the Archer program.

In 2008, Sweden ordered a first batch of seven units, while Norway ordered one. In August 2009, Norway and Sweden ordered 24 Archers each, in a cooperative deal.

The howitzer was developed for the Swedish Armed Forces following a contract awarded to Bofors (now BAE Systems Bofors) in 2003 by Försvarets Materielverk (FMV), the Swedish defence acquisition agency to build two demonstrator howitzers. The prototype FH77 BW L52 self-propelled howitzers entered firing trials in Sweden in 2005 and 2006. In September 2006, the FMV placed a contract for detailed design work on Archer and, in January 2007, a contract for the next development phase. The Swedish Army had a requirement for 24 systems (two battalions). In September 2008, the Swedish government approved the final development and procurement of the Archer artillery system.

In November 2008, Sweden and Norway signed a co-operative agreement for the development of the Archer system and, in January 2009, awarded BAE Systems a contract to complete development of the artillery system with the exception of the remote weapon system which is made by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. A final prototype was scheduled for completion by September 2009, which was expected to be followed by a contract for 48 systems – 24 for Sweden and 24 for Norway. Archer was planned to enter service in 2011 but was delayed until October 2013. This was because of unforeseen technical problems. It caused the Norwegian government to withdraw from the project in December 2013.

The Swedish Army received its first four pre-serial production FH-77 BW L52 Archer systems on 23 September 2013, and the first guns finally entered service on 1 February 2016.

In 2019, a new configuration of the Archer, with the howitzer mounted on a Rheinmetall MAN HX2 8×8 tactical truck, was revealed. Sweden had ordered a number of HX2 trucks in 2014, with deliveries commencing in 2017. On 23 January 2020, Janes Information Services reported that BAE Systems Bofors had begun trials for the HX2 variant.

Operational vehicle platform – Volvo A30D
This vehicle platform is a modification of the Volvo A30D 6×6 articulated all-terrain hauler vehicle. It was developed for the first variant of the Archer artillery system. Operators control the entire gun system in any weather from the safety of the armoured vehicle cabin which is fitted with bullet and fragmentation-proof windows. The cabin seats up to four personnel. The howitzer is operated by three or four crew but can be run by a single operator.

The system also includes a munition carrier consisting of a removable, modified standard container mounted on a ballistic-proofed all-terrain lorry. As per the agreement announced in March 2010, the contract to commence the serial production of 48 Archers was signed for US$200 million, resulting in a unit cost of US$4.17 million.

Future vehicle platform – Rheinmetall HX2 8×8
The Rheinmetall HX2 8×8 (HX44M) is the second platform for which the Archer artillery system is being developed. The Swedish Army ordered 48 in September 2023 for US$500 million. The delivery is planned to start from 2025. There are no changes to the system mentioned other than its adaptation to the vehicle.

Potential vehicle platform – Oshkosh defence trucks
BAE Bofors is proposing this system as an option to the US military, and concept variants based on the Oshkosh HEMTT (8×8) or the Oshkosh PLS (10×10).

Ammunition
The vehicle carries 21 155 mm projectiles in a fully automatic magazine. Reloading the magazine from the accompanying munitions carrier takes about 10 minutes using the purpose-built lifting device. The howitzer can use NATO modular charges or Bofors Uniflex 2 modular charges. The Uniflex 2IM modular charge system consists of two sizes of combustible charge cases; one full-size and one half-size case, both filled with the same type of insensitive guanylurea dinitramide (GuDN) propellant. The modular charge system allows several increments of charge to be available and increases the system's multiple rounds simultaneous impact (MRSI) capability and good range overlap between the increments. With BAE Bofors/Nexter Bonus rounds the range is 35 km. Due to the glide wings of the precision-guided Raytheon/Bofors M982 Excalibur rounds, the range of the gun is extended to more than 50 km. The Excalibur shell is corrected in flight towards a pre-programmed trajectory by a GPS guidance system. For armoured vehicles, the Bofors 155 Bonus is used.

Operational capabilities
The system is designed for high strategic, operational and tactical mobility. The vehicle can reach road speeds of up to 90 km/h, is capable of traversing snow up to a depth of 1 m, is rail transportable and can be air-transported in Boeing C-17 Globemaster III or Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft. A large hydraulically operated stabilizer is installed in the rear of the chassis and is lowered with the vehicle in the selected firing position. The gun elevation and traverse ranges are −1° to +70° vertically and −85° to +85° horizontally. The initial deployment time and the redeployment times are less than 30 seconds. The system provides precision strike and high sustained firepower for support and for deep firing operations with more than 25 t of ammunition per gun and 24-hour operation. The howitzer has a continuous fire rate of 75 rounds per hour, an intensive fire rate of 20 rounds (i.e., a full magazine) in 2.5 minutes (effective rate, 480 rounds per hour), and a salvo fire rate of three rounds in 15 seconds (effective rate, 720 rounds per hour). The MRSI capability, multiple round simultaneous impact, is up to 6 rounds. Direct-sighting can be used for target ranges up to 2000 m.

Technical data
The detailed specifications and capabilities of each variant are summarised in the following table.

Current operators



 * 🇸🇪 Swedish Army
 * 26 owned as of 16 March 2023.
 * Platform Volvo A30D: 24 in active service. The Swedish Army ordered 24 Archer systems in 2009. An additional order for the 24 systems originally bought by Norway was placed in 2016. BAE Systems Bofors delivered 48 Archer to the Royal Swedish Artillery Regiment (9th Artillery regiment) between 2013 and 2022.  On 16 March 2023, the Swedish Government announced that 24 of the systems were in service and 24 were in storage. Among those formerly stored systems, 14 are to be sold and transferred to the British Army in March 2023 and 8 will be sent to Ukraine due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The remaining 2 units will be used by the Swedish army to further develop the Archer artillery system.
 * Platform Rheinmetall HX2 8x8: 48 ordered. In September 2023 a contract for 48 Archer systems was signed, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2025. The cost for 48 artillery systems is $500 million.


 * British Army
 * 14 owned as of July 2024. On 16 March 2023, the Swedish Government asked for permission from the Riksdag to sell 14 Archer Artillery Systems to the British Army as an interim replacement for 32 AS-90 gifted to Ukraine. Ownership of the systems was transferred in March 2023, and they would be fully operational by the following April. The first Archer was delivered in October 2023 and all were delivered by July 2024.


 * 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Ground Forces
 * 8 owned as of the end of 2023. On 16 March 2023, the Swedish government announced that it would send 8 Archer artillery systems to the Ukrainian armed forces. The delivery was reported later in November 2023.

Potential operators

 * Romanian Land Forces
 * BAE is offering the Archer for the Romanian Army, 36 wheeled self-propelled howitzers are planned to be ordered by Romania.


 * Swiss Armed Forces
 * BAE Systems Bofors announced in June 2022 that Switzerland had shortlisted the Archer for the final round of its Future Artillery System competition "Artillerie Wirkplattform und Wirkmittel 2026". The version selected is the one based on the Rheinmetall HX2 8x8. On 11 August 2022, the Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement confirmed this decision and announced that the Archer would compete against the RCH 155 Artillery Gun Module. Both 8x8 versions of the RCH 155, one based on the Boxer platform and one based on the Mowag Piranha IV, were scheduled to be evaluated.

Evaluation only

 * British Army
 * The Archer system was one of the contenders for the British Army's Mobile Fires Platform program. The variant offered was based on the Rheinmetall HX2 8x8 truck. As of December 2023, Babcock and Rheinmetall UK formally joined forces with BAE Bofors to pitch the Archer to the British Army. Among the competitors, there were: CAESAR (Nexter), the RCH-155 (KMW), the K9 Thunder (Hanwha Aerospace and Lockheed Martin) and the ATI (Artillery Truck Interface, a module based on a HX3 10x10, made by Rheinmetall) which could eventually use a 155 L/60 calibre.
 * In April 2024, a defence agreement was reached between Germany and the United Kingdom, and the choice to purchase the RCH-155 was made.


 * 🇺🇸 US Army
 * In July 2020, the US Army released a request for proposals to evaluate wheeled self-propelled howitzers. In October 2020, BAE Systems offered the Archer as a participant to the RFP. The other platforms tested were the ATMOS 2000, the CAESAr, the Brutus and the Nora B-52. Throughout 2021, the various wheeled self-propelled howitzers conducted a shoot off evaluation at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona and at Camp Atterbury. The Archer was tested in November 2021. As part of the evaluation, Lieutenant General Erik Peterson, visited Sweden to inspect the system in April 2022.
 * The interest for a wheeled self-propelled howitzer aimes at increasing the mobility of the artillery capabilities, and to take a position between the M109 and the M777. At the same time, the platforms tested would offer an artillery system with an increased range as the greatest operational calibre in the US Army is the 155mm L/39. The US Army ultimately did not move forward with acquiring a wheeled howitzer system.

Cancelled order

 * 🇳🇴 Norwegian Army
 * 24 ordered for Royal Norwegian Artillery Battalion but the order was cancelled in December 2013 due to delays in the development and production, therefore not meeting needs within the time remaining available. Norway later chose to purchase the K9 Thunder in December 2017.

Combat performance in Ukraine
In January 2024 a Ukrainian documentary crew from United24 observed the FH77BW Archer howitzer firing during combat missions. The news crew interviewed Ukrainian soldiers operating the system in the Luhansk region. One of the soldiers interviewed had previously worked with the Soviet-built D-20 howitzer. In contrast to the towed D-20's manual operation the Ukrainian soldier praised the automation and rapid emplacement of the FH77BW, describing it as "Sniper Artillery" for its one shot - one kill ability.

In February 2024 an Archer artillery system was hit by a Russian loitering munition close to the city of Kupiansk. Russian sources claimed that the howitzer was destroyed while Ukrainian sources claimed that the damage done to the vehicle was likely repairable.

In March 2024 a reconnaissance unit of the Ukrainian 63rd Mechanized Brigade detected multiple Russian D-20 howitzers near the city of Kreminna. The coordinates of the Russian howitzers was then passed on to the 45th Artillery Brigade which performed counter-battery fire using an Archer artillery system, with drone footage showing the destruction of three D-20 howitzers.

In May 2024, the Ukrainian 45th Artillery Brigade used the Archer system in combat during operations in the Luhansk region. The brigade's artillerymen, operating an FH77BW Archer howitzer successfully destroyed a Russian 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled artillery system near the village of Chervonopopivka. The Russian gun had been spotted by a Ukrainian reconnaissance team and the destruction was verified by a RPV drone.