Sweden bolsters Ukraine with £230m in advanced artillery aid

Thus far, Sweden has provided Ukraine with eight H77BW Archer howitzers, one of which has been damaged. These systems are highly praised by Ukrainians, and the delivery of another batch of 18 units, along with ARTHUR artillery radars, will enhance the effectiveness of Ukrainian artillery units even further.

The H77BW Archer howitzer, serially produced in Sweden since 2009, is regarded as one of the most advanced and fastest in the world. This project was initially developed as part of a joint new-generation artillery programme with Norway, which eventually decided to withdraw from the project, opting for the South Korean K9 Thunder. The Swedes, undeterred by this decision, continued the development of the project independently.

The result of their work is an exceptionally advanced and automated howitzer, which requires only 3-4 soldiers to operate. It is capable of completing a fire mission in just 75 seconds, which includes a brief stop, firing a burst of three shots, and a quick departure.

Similar to other modern models such as the German PzH 2000 or the Polish Krab, the Swedish H77BW Archer howitzer uses a 155 mm calibre barrel with a length of 52 calibres. This allows it to hit targets up to about 30 kilometres away using basic DM121 ammunition.

Using shells with base bleed increases the range to 40 kilometres, and shells with rocket-assisted projectiles, like the M549A1 or guided M982 Excalibur, allow for ranges between 50-60 kilometres. In theory, there is also a possibility of integration with Vulcano GLR munitions, which have a range of 70-80 kilometres.

These are theoretically supposed to have a circular error probable (CEP) of just 4 metres in newer versions, but as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine, GPS signal jamming considerably degrades their accuracy. The situation looks better with Vulcano GLR shells, which, when combined with an observer or drone illuminating the target with a laser beam, can ensure pinpoint accuracy under such conditions.

The H77BW Archer howitzer is equipped with an automatic loading system that handles both projectiles and propellant charges. Thanks to this, it has a firing rate of 8 rounds per minute, allowing the entire magazine of 20 rounds to be discharged in just 2.5 minutes. Additionally, the howitzer can perform MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact), where all fired rounds hit the target simultaneously.

Despite these advantages and the ease of air transport using an Airbus A400M Atlas, the Swedish design has not gained popularity in the export market. The reasons were the high cost of the system, low interest due to a lack of full-scale wars, and the presence of the more affordable French Caesar, which offered similar, albeit slightly lower, capabilities at a much more attractive price.

It was only after the conflict in Ukraine that the system attracted attention, and apart from Ukraine as a foreign user, the H77BW Archer was selected by the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the Swedish design is also participating in, among other things, the competition for new US Army artillery.