The Archer self-propelled artillery system was developed by the Swedish company BAE Systems Bofors in the early 2000s. The system combines a 155 mm howitzer with an 8.06-metre, 52-calibre barrel mounted on a Volvo off-road truck chassis with a 6×6 wheel configuration.
Ukraine received its first eight Archer self-propelled howitzers at the end of 2023. The systems are among the artillery assets now available to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Archer carries an ammunition load of 21 rounds. It has an effective range of up to 30 km with conventional high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, up to 40 km with rocket-assisted projectiles and up to 60 km with precision-guided M982 Excalibur rounds.
The system can fire up to nine rounds per minute. It can also fire a three-round burst in 15 seconds and expend its full ammunition load in 2.5 minutes during intensive fire.
The Ministry of Defence said Archer is one of the few systems in the world equipped with Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact capability. This allows it to fire four to six rounds along different trajectories so they strike the same target simultaneously.
The system is equipped with either a remotely controlled 12.7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. Its armoured crew cab provides ballistic and fragmentation protection and can withstand blasts from mines containing up to 6 kg of explosives.
The ministry said Archer’s main advantages include rapid deployment and displacement within 20 seconds and speeds of up to 70 km/h. It also highlighted fully automated operation, a crew requirement of three to four personnel and the ability to replenish the full ammunition load in eight minutes.
The system is also credited with a high rate of fire of 21 rounds in three minutes. Its long-range precision reaches up to 60 km with accuracy within a few metres, while BONUS submunitions provide an anti-armour capability by engaging tanks through their less protected top armour.
The Archer is equipped with a digital ballistic computer and can be integrated into tactical command-and-control systems. This allows it to operate fully autonomously without relying on dedicated survey and geospatial support units.
The entire fire-control process is automated, enabling the crew to remain inside the armoured cab during deployment, firing and repositioning. The cab is equipped with nuclear, biological and chemical protection, climate control and a dedicated compartment for heating food.
The ministry also noted that Sweden has delivered specialised equipment to Ukraine for the maintenance of military airfields. It said high-quality runway maintenance directly affects how safely and successfully pilots can carry out combat missions.
