Britain buys 14 Archer self-propelled guns from Sweden to replace artillery sent to Ukraine

KYIV. March 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The British Army is acquiring 14 Archer 155mm self-propelled artillery mounts from Sweden in March to replace the systems supplied by London to Kyiv, Defense news said, citing the British Ministry of Defense.

“The first 14 Archer artillery systems will have ownership transferred to the British Army this month and be fully operational by next April, forming an interim replacement for the 32 AS90 artillery systems the UK gifted to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the publication said, citing a statement by the department.

The Archer self-propelled guns will be in service with the British army until it receives newer models of mobile artillery as part of a program that involves the implementation of such deliveries in the late 2020s.

In January, the Swedish authorities decided to allocate a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, which, in particular, included the Archer self-propelled guns.

Swedish self-propelled guns Archer manufactured by BAE Systems AB have been in operation since 2014. Its feature is the full automation of the loading process, as a result of which the self-propelled guns have an increased rate of fire, there is a mode of multiple simultaneous target destruction, when the shells hit the target without stopping or with very short time intervals. The firing range is up to 40 kilometers with conventional projectiles and up to 60 kilometers when using precision-guided munitions, including 155-mm Excalibur M982 long-range guided active-rocket projectiles. The self-propelled guns have 21 rounds of ammunition and are capable of moving over rough terrain at speeds up to 70 kilometers per hour.

The Swedish army is armed with approximately 50 self-propelled guns. In the middle of 2022, the government signed a contract for the supply of another 24 units.