Difference between revisions of "ARCHER Artillery System"

Latest revision as of 21:49, 1 July 2010

ARCHER Artillery System
300px A deployed Archer
Type	Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin	Sweden
Production history
Designed	1995
Specifications
Weight	30.0 tonnes (29.5 long tons; 33.1 short tons)
Length	14.1 metres (46 ft 3 in)
Width	3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Height	3.3-3.9 meters
Crew	4 (1 driver, 3 operators)
Main armament	1× FH 77 derived 155 mm/52-calibre howitzer
Secondary armament	1× BAE Systems AB Remote weapon system
Engine	Diesel 340 hp (250 kW)
Suspension	6x6 Independent suspension
Operational range	500 kilometres (310 mi)
Speed	70 km/h (43 mph)

The ARCHER Artillery System is an international project aimed at developing a next-generation self-propelled artillery system for Sweden and Norway.^[1] The heart of the system is a fully automated 155 mm/L52 gun howitzer and a LEMUR Remote controlled weapon station mounted on a modified 6x6 chassis of the Volvo A30D articulated dump truck. Aside from this, the system consists of an ammunition resupply vehicle, a support vehicle, BONUS Sensor-fuzed Artillery Shell and the M982 Excalibur guided projectile.

Development

The project began its life in 1995 as earlier studies for a self-propelled system based on the FH 77. 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 dump truck (6×6 Volvo chassis). In 2008, Sweden ordered a first batch of seven units, while Norway ordered one.^{[2][3][dead link]} In August 2009, Sweden and Norway ordered 24 Archers each, in a cooperative deal.^{[4][dead link]}

General characteristics

• Length: 14.1 metres
• Width: 3.0 metres
• Height: 3.3 - 3.9 metres
• Weight: 30 tonnes
• Speed: 70 km/h
• Range: ~50 km
• Crew: 4 (1 driver, 3 operators) or 2 (1 driver and 1 operator) in case of emergencies
• Armament: 155 mm/L52 gun howitzer
• Rate of fire: 8-9 rounds/min with MRSI (Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact) capability, which means that several shells are released in succession but hit the target simultaneously.
• Range (of artillery fire): 30 km with standard shells, 40 km with base-bleed, 60 km with Excalibur
• Protection level: 7.62 AP, Mines 6 kg (Level 2 STANAG 4569)
• Emergency driving: all wheels - emergency driving equipment (Hutchinson AMVFI) makes it possible to drive with all wheels punctured; it also provides greater protection if the vehicle hits a blast-pressure mine - the same system is used on the all-terrain vehicle Sisu.

Operators

• Swedish Army - 24 ordered^[5] for Royal Swedish Artillery Regiment (9th Artillery regiment, abbreviated as A 9)^[4]
• Norwegian Army - 24 ordered^[5]

Under evaluation

• Australian Army : is one of the final short listed contenders for the Land 17 artillery replacement program.
• 23x15px Croatian Army
• Canadian Army

See also

• Haubits FH77/A
• Msta-S 2S19
• PzH 2000
• NLOS Cannon
• Nora B-52
• CAESAR

References

External links

• Swedish Defence Materiel Administration: ARCHER - Artillery system
• Template:Swe icon Swedish Artillery Regiment
• BAE Systems in Sweden
• BAE Systems page about ARCHER
• A unique Forestry carrier conversion Article in mil.se
• ARCHER Self-Propelled Howitzer at ArmyTechnology.com

Video links

• Archer - FH77BW L52 at YouTube
• Archer at the Royal Swedish Artillery Regiment (A9)