Archer takes aim for US requirement
US Army plans to evaluate potential mobile SPHs in 2021
BAE Systems is offering its Archer wheeled SPH in response to a US Army RfP for a 155mm wheeled gun system.
The US Army plans to conduct a ‘shoot off’ evaluation in early 2021 at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Its issued the RfP for mobile howitzers on 30 July this year.
The fully automated Archer is manufactured in Sweden by BAE Systems Bofors. It ‘is already in service with the Swedish Army with the highest technical and manufacturing readiness levels’, BAE Systems claimed on 19 October.
During the DSEI 2019 exhibition, BAE Systems unveiled a new version of the Archer mounted on the Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles HX77 8x8 chassis. In this configuration, the three-man crew can deploy the system in less than 30 seconds and can strike targets up to 40 km away with conventional ammunition or 60 km away with precision guided munitions such as Excalibur.
Archer in this configuration is expected to compete for the British Army's Mobile Fires Platform requirement, Shephard Defence Insight notes.
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