“With all Archer systems now upgraded to Version C, we mark an important milestone in the development of the Swedish Armed Forces’ artillery capability,” said Jonas Lotsne, Head of Army Materiel at FMV. “The upgrade represents a modernisation of the systems and contributes to enhanced operational effect.”
In mid-October, the first rounds were fired from the new Archer 8×8 system at the southern firing range in Boden. Like earlier variants, the system was developed by BAE Systems Bofors and is a 155-millimetre howitzer integrated onto an all-terrain vehicle from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV).
“Following the first system exercise, including live firing with the Archer on an RMMV 8×8 chassis, we see the greatest advantage of this solution as its increased operational mobility,” said Björn Bruce, Development Officer for Archer at the Artillery Combat School (ArtSS). The live-fire event was attended by representatives from ArtSS, FMV, BAE Systems Bofors, and RMMV.
“This is a welcome development and a welcome reinforcement of the Swedish Armed Forces’ artillery capability,” added Mikael Dalin, Deputy Regimental Commander of A 8 in Boden. The delivery and test of the new systems reflect Sweden’s continued investment in strengthening its defence readiness.
Source: FMV.
