In March 2023, the British Ministry of Defence [MoD] declared that fourteen BAE Systems Bofors self-propelled howitzers [on wheels] ‘Archer’ would be delivered to the British Army under a bilateral agreement. The purpose of this was to substitute the AS-90 artillery pieces that Ukraine had been previously promised.
Nevertheless, the proposal could only be provisional, given that the British Army had previously initiated the MFP (Mobile Fires Platform) initiative intending to bolster and modernize its artillery units. During that period, the then-Defense Minister, Ben Wallace, had articulated his intention to expedite progress on this matter by establishing a deadline of the end of the decade instead of the 2030s.
Minister Ben Wallace then argued that his main concern was the UK’s deep strike capability deficit. He said his country was pretty much behind everyone in this aspect. The range of British AS-90 is about 23 or 24 km, while France and everyone else had systems with ranges of 55 km, he said.
The MFP program will ultimately be implemented in collaboration with Germany. The announcement was made on April 24 by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, after deliberations with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“The United Kingdom and Germany are European powers. Together, we are stronger, whether it is defending ourselves against Russian aggression or driving economic growth and technological progress. Today, we are opening a new chapter in our relationship … In this dangerous time for the world, the United Kingdom and Germany stand side by side to preserve security and prosperity at home and across our continent,” said the occupant of 10 Downing Street.
Specifically, the solution chosen for the MFP program will rely on the RCH-155 system [Remotely Controlled Howitzer], developed by KNDS Deutschland [formerly Krauss Maffei Wegmann] based on the tracked self-propelled howitzer PzH-2000. It will be mounted on an armored infantry fighting vehicle, Artec Boxer, of which the British Army has previously ordered 623 units (523 in 2019 and 100 in 2022).
It is worth noting that the RCH-155, which, except for the units delivered to Ukraine, has never been exported until now, competes with the Archer 8×8 in Switzerland as part of the “Artillery Wirkplattform und Wirkmittel 2026” project. Mounted on a chassis developed based on the Piranha IV armored personnel carrier, it has recently been evaluated by Armasuisse.
For a comprehensive understanding, the highly automated RCH-155 system boasts impressive capabilities. It has a range of 40 to 54 km, depending on the type of 155 mm shell it uses. Its rate of fire is nine rounds per minute, and it has the unique ability to fire on the move, significantly reducing its vulnerability to counter-battery fire.
“The program has the potential to bring significant economic benefits to the United Kingdom, particularly for component manufacturing, which will create hundreds of jobs at British suppliers supporting the Boxer program,” said Mr. Sunak’s office.
This cooperation between London and Berlin around the RCH-155 seems to confirm that the Bundeswehr has also chosen this system, with the ambition to acquire up to 160 wheeled howitzers.
