The long-awaited event took place in Sweden on 23 September. The Office of the Ministry of Defense for Procurement (Försvarets Materielverk) has accepted the first batch of self-propelled howitzers FH77BW L52 Archer ("Archer") on a wheeled chassis. Four new combat vehicles were put into service under the name Artillerisystem 08. About a year later, the Swedish military department intends to receive a second batch of self-propelled artillery units, consisting of 20 vehicles. In addition, 24 ACS will be built for Norway in the near future.
The long-awaited transfer of self-propelled guns to the customer was due to a number of technical problems. In accordance with the first contracts signed during development, the Archer self-propelled guns were supposed to replenish the Swedish armed forces in 2011. However, during the testing of prototypes, some shortcomings were identified, which took some time to fix. As a result, the first batch, consisting of only four pre-production combat vehicles, was handed over to the customer only in September 2013. In the future, the Swedish army will receive serial equipment.
Separately, it is necessary to note the situation with artillery in the Swedish army, resulting from the failure to deliver the Archer self-propelled guns. Currently, in the Swedish armed forces, artillery is represented only by the 9th artillery regiment, consisting of two divisions. By the end of 2011, due to the development of the resource, all available towed 155-mm Bofors FH77B howitzers were decommissioned, due to which the Swedish armed forces completely lost any field artillery. Initially, it was assumed that the new Archer self-propelled guns will replace the towed howitzers, but the problems accompanying the creation of self-propelled guns thwarted the implementation of these plans, and as a result, for almost two years the Swedish army did not have any artillery.
The project to develop a promising self-propelled artillery mount was launched in 1995. In accordance with the terms of reference, the executing organization was supposed to develop an ACS armed with a modified 155 mm FH77B howitzer. The customer demanded to improve the characteristics of the gun by increasing the barrel length. The result of the modernization of the howitzer was the modification of the FH77BW with a 52 caliber barrel. It was such a weapon that was to be used in the new self-propelled gun. In addition, the customer's requirements included the use of a wheeled chassis.
The preliminary stage of the project took several years. Only in 2003, the Swedish Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the Bofors company. This document provided for the completion of the project and the subsequent construction of serial self-propelled guns. In 2005, the first prototypes of the promising ACS were built. Tests of self-propelled guns began after the transformation of the Bofors company into BAE Systems Bofors.
The Volvo A30D 6x6 was chosen as the chassis for the new self-propelled artillery unit. The chassis is equipped with a 340 horsepower diesel engine, which allows the combat vehicle to reach speeds of up to 65 km / h on the highway. The wheeled chassis is said to be able to move through snow up to one meter deep. If the wheels are damaged, including an explosion, the Archer self-propelled gun is capable of continuing to move for some time.
An interesting feature of the Archer chassis is the applied architecture. The A30D features an articulated design for improved agility. In the front of the chassis, above the first axle and up to the articulation unit, the engine compartment and the cockpit are located. The engine and crew are covered with bulletproof armor corresponding to level 2 of the NATO STANAG 4569 standard. The cockpit accommodates three or four crew members. Depending on the nature of the operation being performed, the crew may have one or two weapons operators. The driver and commander are always present in the crew. On the roof of the cockpit there is a place for the installation of a remotely controlled Protector turret with a machine gun.
The rear module of the articulated chassis houses all the implements of the implement. Above the rear axle of the chassis, there are mechanisms for lifting and turning the gun turret. The gun is guided by turning and lifting the entire turret. The mechanisms of the self-propelled guns allow you to direct the gun vertically in the range of angles from 0 ° to + 70 °. Due to the peculiarities of the wheeled chassis, the horizontal guidance angles are limited: the Archer can fire at targets in the front sector with a width of 150 ° (75 ° to the right and left of the axle). To stabilize the vehicle while firing, a double outrigger is used at the rear of the chassis. In the stowed position, the gun module rotates into a neutral position, lowering the howitzer barrel into a special tray covered with covers. The dimensions of the base car required an interesting solution. So, when the ACS is transferred to the stowed position, the recoil devices of the gun move the barrel to the extreme rear position, which allows it to be placed in the existing tray.
The Archer wheeled self-propelled gun has a fairly large size. The maximum length of the combat vehicle exceeds 14 meters, the width is 3 meters. Without the use of the Protector turret, the height of the self-propelled gun is 3.3 meters, and after installing this combat module it increases by about 60 cm. The combat weight of the Archer self-propelled gun does not exceed 30 tons. The dimensions and weight of the FH77BW L52 self-propelled artillery mount allow it to be transported by rail. In the future, it is planned to use Airbus A400M military transport aircraft for this.
During combat work, the crew of the Archer self-propelled guns is constantly at their workplaces and does not leave them. All operations are performed by commands from control panels. In this regard, all mechanisms of the gun turret operate in automatic mode. The main elements of the turret equipment are the loading mechanisms. According to reports, instead of a single system, the Archer self-propelled gun uses two mechanisms interacting with each other. One of them delivers 155mm rounds. The mechanized stacking capacity is 21 shells. The second charging system operates with propelling charges supplied in the form of cylindrical blocks with a combustible shell, resembling a charging cap. The Archer self-propelled turret can accommodate 126 blocks with a propelling charge. When using a transport-loading vehicle with a cargo crane, it takes about eight minutes to fully load the ammunition.
Depending on the task at hand, the crew of the FH77BA L52 Archer self-propelled howitzer can increase or decrease the total amount of propellant mixture by changing the number of charges placed in the gun. With the maximum number of propelling charges, the Archer self-propelled howitzer is capable of sending a projectile to a target at a distance of up to 30 kilometers. The use of active-reactive or guided ammunition increases the firing range to 60 km. The latter is claimed for the Excalibur adjustable projectile. ACS Archer can fire direct fire, but in this case, the effective firing range does not exceed two kilometers.
The gun loading mechanisms provide a rate of fire of up to 8-9 rounds per minute. If necessary, the self-propelled crew can fire in the MRSI mode (the so-called flurry of fire), firing six shots for a short time. A volley of 21 shots (full ammunition) takes no more than three minutes. When developing the Archer ACS, the need to reduce the time spent preparing for firing and leaving the position was taken into account. As a result, the self-propelled gun can carry out part of the preparations for firing on the way to the position. Thanks to this, the first shot is fired within 30 seconds after stopping at the desired point on the route. During this time, the outrigger is lowered and the tower is brought into a combat position. After completing the firing mission, the crew transfers the combat vehicle to the stowed position and leaves the position. It also takes about 30 seconds to prepare to leave the position.
ACS FH77BW L52 Archer is equipped with a modern digital fire control system. Electronic equipment and associated systems allow the crew to carry out all the necessary operations without leaving their workplaces. In addition, the automation takes on some of the important actions associated with preparing for firing: determining the coordinates of the ACS, calculating the required aiming angles and firing using the MRSI algorithm. When using a guided Excalibur projectile or similar, the automation prepares the ammunition for firing.
As already mentioned, the first serial Archer self-propelled guns were supposed to be delivered to the troops back in 2011. However, during development, some problems appeared related to a number of applied systems. It took several years to eliminate the shortcomings, which ultimately led to the failure to meet the deadlines. Even during testing and fine-tuning, the first contracts for the supply of serial combat vehicles were signed. In 2008, Sweden ordered eight new SPGs, Norway one. A few months later, the Scandinavian states decided to co-finance the project. In accordance with the 2009 contract, BAE Systems Bofors is to supply 24 self-propelled artillery mounts to two countries.
Negotiations are ongoing regarding possible export contracts. ACS Archer interested the military from Denmark and Canada. These states are negotiating for the supply of a certain number of combat vehicles. It is known that Denmark can acquire no more than two dozen self-propelled guns. Until recently, negotiations were underway with Croatia. This country was going to buy at least 24 FH77BW L52 ACS to replace obsolete Soviet-made equipment. However, economic problems prevented Croatia from acquiring Swedish combat vehicles. After lengthy comparisons and negotiations, the Croatian armed forces decided to buy 18 used PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers from Germany. The delivery of the purchased self-propelled guns will begin in 2014.
Combat and operational characteristics make the FH77BW L52 Archer self-propelled artillery mount a worthy representative of its class of military equipment. However, some of the technical solutions used in the project, at one time led to the emergence of several difficulties. All this could negatively affect the reputation of the project. Due to the difficulties in the development of the Archer self-propelled guns, the Swedish army was left without field artillery for a fairly long time, and several months remain before the start of mass deliveries of new self-propelled guns. It should be noted that even before the start of mass production, the Archer self-propelled gun attracted the attention of potential buyers in the person of third countries. It is quite possible that in the very near future new contracts for the supply of self-propelled guns will be signed.
