Sweden to Consider Sending Archer SP Howitzers to Ukraine

The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering sending Archer self-propelled howitzers and portable RBS 70 anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.

“Swedish government presents 7th military package worth SEK 500M ($46.7 million) to Ukraine’s defense ministry… Defence Materiel Administration Armed Forces will evaluate possibility to provide artillery Archer, air-defense RBS70 & more (to Kyiv). Sweden stands with Ukraine,” Ann Linde, foreign affairs minister, tweeted August 31.

Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, recently called on Sweden to deliver Archer SP howitzers, RBS-70 MANPADS and more rounds for artillery systems.

“The best Sweden can do in the field of defense in the coming weeks is to provide Ukraine with its famous Archer self-propelled howitzers, RBS-70 anti-aircraft missile systems, and more shells for our artillery systems,” Dmytro Kuleba had said on August 29.

Archer consists of a 155mm FH 77B gun with a barrel length of 52 calibers. The autoloader allows it to release six shells in 30 seconds on different trajectories.

The system can be transported by an Airbus A400M transport aircraft.

The maximum range is 30km with a conventional projectile (HE), 40km with a rocket assisted projectile (HE ER) and 60km with an Excalibur guided projectile.

The maximum rate of fire of the Archer guns is 8-9 rounds per minute, and the deployment for fire missions is 30 seconds.

Sweden-based BAE Systems began testing the artillery system on the German Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) chassis HX2 (8×8) in January 2020.

Defensemirror.com Bureau