Archer Next Generation Artillery System

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New generation of artillery is right around the corner and one of its representatives is the Archer Artillery System or Archer – FH77BW L52. Designed and built in 1995 in Sweden, where extremely low environment temperatures are common. Not only that Archer is reliable in any weather or environment it is also equipped with a fully automated 155 mm howitzer gun placed on a remote controlled weapon station. The system is mounted on a 6×6 Volvo A30D truck, which gives the Archer much needed mobility. The crew is sitting in a heavily armored cabine.

The vehicle can carry up to 20 155mm shells plus an additional 20 if needed to reload. By using the XM982 excalibur round the range of its effective attack is extended up to 60 km. Firepower and mobility are crucial in modern warfare. Truck which carries the Archer system can achieve speeds of up to 70km/h and can be air-transported by an aircraft. The deployment time of the Archer System, from stopping the vehicle to firing the first round is about 30seconds. Full load of 20 rounds can be fired in a fast sequence in under 2.5 minutes.

It can operate in ranges up to 500 kilometers.

Characteristics:

Length: 14.1 meters
Width: 3.0 meters
Height: 3.3 – 3.9 mmeters
Weight: 30 tons
Speed: 70 km/h
Range: ~500 km
Crew: 4 (1 driver, 3 operators) or 2 (1 driver and 1 operator) in case of emergencies
Armament: 155 mm/L52 gun howitzer
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.