Self-propelled artillery mount FH77 BW L52 Archer is a Swedish development, multi-purpose 155 mm self-propelled artillery mount. The idea of ​​​​creating this system falls on the plan for reforming the NATO armed forces, and represents the creation of an air-transportable, armored self-propelled artillery fire system. Bofors Defense (part of the SAAB group of companies) proposed the FH77 model for arming the Swedish army and possible deliveries of the system to other countries. The FH77 BW L52 self-propelled artillery mount is developed on the basis of the well-proven FH77 towed gun (that's why FH77 is in the name of the unit).

When placing the Gun on a mobile platform, in this case a lightning platform with a 6x6 wheel arrangement, special technologies were used to reduce the recoil of the gun when fired and compensate for the impact. The gun is mounted on a special hinged platform (platform), in a special container, at the end of which there is a special counterweight that compensates for the impact force when fired.

The crew cabin has armored protection, ensuring the safety of people during shelling small arms and shell fragments. Also on the roof of the cabin there can be a 7.2 mm machine gun.

Due to the placement of the gun on a cross-country chassis, the installation can be used in any weather conditions and on rough terrain. The speed at which the “Archer” can move is up to 70 km/h. It can also be transported by air using the "European Hercules" A 400M.

The FH77BW L52 is the ideal next-generation self-propelled artillery system for use in the European theater of possible combat operations. The system of camouflage “robes” (capes) allows you to reduce the visual and infrared visibility of the system by almost 3 times, which is ideal for using the installation in wooded areas and steppes.

The range of shells used is very large; Bofors Defense also decided to create a special shell for installation, and also provided for the possibility of using most foreign artillery shells, including the American M982 Excalibur. The firing range is about 40 km using European artillery shells and 60 km with the American M982 Excalibur.

The Swedish government has already submitted a bill to parliament that provides funds for the renewal and modernization of the Haubits 77B artillery system. The Swedish Army is expected to purchase 27 FH77 BW L52 systems, which will use parts of the 51 Haubits 77B (FH-77B) towed system currently in service. First deliveries of the FH77 BW L52 could take place in 2008 or 2009. They will replace the current FH-77B, which was the only remaining artillery system after the Swedish Army retired all towed and self-propelled artillery systems several years ago.

The Swedish government is looking for a partner to jointly participate in the project, and if such a partner is not found, the government may reconsider the implementation of this plan. One potential partner is Denmark, which may order 24 systems. The Danish Army and the Danish Defense Acquisition Authority will team up to jointly participate in this project.

To ensure good mobility on rough terrain, the FH77 BW L52 was mounted on a Volvo 6x6 A30D all-terrain chassis, which was specially upgraded for this system. To reduce costs, the cradle and recoil system are taken from the FH-77B 155 mm towed artillery system currently in service. Automatic system loading allows you to reduce the number of crew to three people. Its rate of fire is three shots in 15 seconds. A computerized fire control system coupled with an inertial navigation and guidance system allows the system to move in and out of combat quickly enough to avoid enemy artillery return fire. The Archer system will also be equipped with the Swedish combat management system, which is already installed on other Swedish platforms.

The crew is accommodated in an armored cabin, which is equipped with a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction. Remote control loading, guidance and firing systems are carried out from the cockpit. The cabin can accommodate four people, provides blast protection and is equipped with a number of visibility reduction features. To increase platform stability when shooting, a hydraulic outrigger is lowered at the rear of the vehicle. During the tests, more than 700 rounds of 155 mm active-reactive missiles were already fired cumulative shells HEER long-range projectiles, HE77 shaped charge rounds and TR 54/77 point charge training rounds.

Uniflex 2 modular charges, FH77 B L39 cap charges and Bofor 4-7,8 and 9 charges were used. The maximum firing range depends on the shell-charge combination, but is generally 40 km when firing standard shells and 60 km when firing 155 mm shells XM982 Excalibur. The system contains 40 shells, 20 of which are located in the gun’s automatic magazine. The system uses both cartridge and modular projectiles with automatic ramming. The day-night sight allows direct fire from a distance of 2,000 meters. In addition to standard ammunition, the FH77 BW L52 will be able to fire long-range XM982 Excalibur projectiles, which are currently being produced in limited quantities for the US and Swedish armies.

“The introduction of the Archer system and a new generation of “smart” projectiles will allow us to hit targets faster and with higher accuracy than now,” said a representative of the Swedish army at a conference on the development of artillery systems held recently in London (Defense IQ Future Artillery 2006). In the future of the division Swedish artillery will be able to destroy a target at a long distance within 24 hours, in almost any weather conditions.

Several years ago it was adopted radar station Arthur, which significantly improved the position of the artillery detection system. Although the main purpose of the system is to support the army with indirect fire, it can also be used by the coast guard. In the future, Sweden plans to adopt two more indirect fire systems: the 120mm Advanced Mortar System (AMOS), manufactured by Patria Hagglunds, and the Light Multi-Role missile system. Sweden has already purchased one prototype of the AMOS system. The original plan was to install these systems on 40 CV9040 chassis that are already produced and in stock. The possibility of installing AMOS on lighter SEP chassis, which are more suitable for military use, is now being considered rapid response

If the Swedish army does not abandon its plans to renew its artillery fleet, then 24 self-propelled artillery units, with support equipment, various types of ammunition and equipment, will be ordered from Bofors, which is a traditional supplier of artillery for the armed forces of Sweden and many other countries. The production of the self-propelled guns is planned to be completed by 2011.

Among the advantages of the new self-propelled unit, one can note its suitability for airlift by medium military transport aircraft and heavy helicopters.

Taking into account the traditional popularity of Swedish artillery systems on the world market, export orders for the new self-propelled gun developed by Bofors should be expected. It will compete with such “stars” of 152-155 mm caliber as the South Korean K9, the German PzH-2000, the Russian Msta and the French CAESAR. The closest to the Swedish vehicle in terms of performance characteristics is the British M777 Portee wheeled self-propelled gun.

09:15
September 15, 2019

10:30
08/23/2019

13:55

13:14
08/22/2019

10:22
August 20, 2019

Self-propelled howitzer 155 mm Archer (Sweden)

Development of the new FH77 BW L52 Archer self-propelled artillery mount began back in 1995. In 2003, the Swedish Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Bofors Defense, which is part of the SAAB group of companies, for the creation and production of new systems. The first prototypes were developed in 2005. The contract stated that the first samples of the vehicle should be delivered to the Swedish army in 2011. But due to some shortcomings that were identified during scheduled tests, and which took some time to correct, the first pre-production systems were transferred only at the end of 2013. It is expected that at the end of 2014 the Swedish army will receive all the remaining self-propelled guns.

The FH77 BW L52 self-propelled artillery mount was produced on the basis of the FH77 towed gun, which has proven itself to be excellent. Therefore, it is not surprising that FH77 was included in the name of the installation.

IN Self-propelled gun Archer The chassis of a Volvo A30D with a 6x6 wheel arrangement is used. The chassis is equipped with a 340 horsepower diesel engine, which allows it to reach highway speeds of up to 65 km/h. It is worth noting that the wheeled chassis can move through snow up to one meter deep. If the wheels of the installation are damaged, the self-propelled gun can still move for some time.

The FH77 BW L52 Archer self-propelled artillery mount is made of bulletproof armor sheets that comply with level 2 of the NATO standard STANAG 4569. The cabin contains workplaces for three or four crew members. The driver and commander are always present in the crew, but the number of weapon operators can vary depending on the assigned tasks. The roof of the cockpit can be equipped with a Protector remote-controlled turret with a machine gun. Self-propelled guns can be transported by railway, but in the future they will use Airbus A400M military transport aircraft for this purpose.

The Archer self-propelled guns are equipped with two loading systems. The first fires 155mm shells. The mechanized stowage capacity is 21 rounds. The second loading system operates with propellant charges, which are supplied as cylindrical blocks with a combustible shell. The tower stack can accommodate up to 126 blocks with a propellant charge. It is worth noting that it takes about eight minutes to fully load the ammunition.

The Archer self-propelled gun crew can increase or decrease if necessary total propellant mixture, changing the number of charges placed in the weapon. At maximum quantity propellant charges, a self-propelled howitzer can send a projectile to a target at a distance of up to 30 kilometers. The use of active-reactive or guided ammunition increases the firing range to 60 km. The self-propelled gun can fire direct fire, but in this case the effective firing range does not exceed two kilometers.

The gun's loading mechanisms provide a rate of fire of up to 8-9 rounds per minute. If necessary, the self-propelled gun crew can fire in MRSI mode (the so-called barrage of fire), firing six shots over a short period of time. A salvo of 21 shots (full ammunition) takes no more than three minutes. When developing the Archer self-propelled gun, the need to reduce the time required to prepare for firing and leave a position was taken into account. As a result, the self-propelled gun can carry out some of the preparations for firing while still on the way to the position. Thanks to this, the first shot is fired within 30 seconds after stopping at the desired point on the route. During this time, the outrigger is lowered and the tower is brought into firing position. After completing the fire mission, the crew transfers the combat vehicle to stowed position and leaves the position. It also takes about 30 seconds to prepare to leave the position.

The self-propelled guns are equipped with a modern digital fire control system. Electronic equipment and associated systems allow the crew to carry out all necessary operations without leaving their workplaces. Using automation, you can determine the coordinates of the system, make all the necessary calculations of guidance angles, and you can also fire using the MRSI algorithm. The self-propelled gun can also use Excalibur or similar guided projectiles, and the automation will prepare the ammunition for firing.

Self-propelled gun "Archer" (Archer - archer),
SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I.

The self-propelled gun has been produced since 1943. It was created on the basis of the Valentine light infantry tank. At the same time, the power compartment with the liquid-cooled diesel engine "GMC" housed in it remained unchanged, and instead of the control compartment and fighting compartment a lightly armored conning tower, open at the top, is installed, which houses a crew of 4 people and weapons. Self-propelled gun armed with 76.2 mm anti-tank gun with a barrel length of 60 calibers. The initial speed of its armor-piercing projectile weighing 7.7 kg is 884 m/s. A horizontal guidance angle of 90 degrees, an elevation angle of +16 degrees, and a descent angle of 0 degrees are provided. The gun's rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute. Such characteristics guns made it possible to successfully fight almost all German vehicles. To combat manpower and long-term firing points, the ammunition load (40 shells) also included high-explosive fragmentation shells weighing 6.97 kg. Telescopic and panoramic sights were used to control fire. Fire could be carried out both direct fire and from closed positions. To ensure communication, a radio station was installed on the self-propelled gun. Archer self-propelled guns were produced almost until the end of the war and were first used in some artillery regiments, and then were transferred to tank units.

Development of a 17-pounder gun with high initial speed a projectile comparable in armor penetration to the German 88-mm cannon began in 1941. Its production began in mid-1942, and it was planned to install it on the Challenger and Sherman Firefly tanks, self-propelled guns - tank destroyers. Of the existing tank chassis The Crusader had to be excluded due to its small size and insufficient power reserves for such a weapon; of the available chassis, the only alternative remained the Valentine.

The original idea of ​​installing a 17-pounder gun on it was to use the Bishop self-propelled gun and replace the 25-pounder howitzer gun with a new gun. This proved impractical due to the long barrel of the 17-pounder gun and high altitude armored cabins The Ministry of Supply invited the Vickers company to develop a new self-propelled gun based on the Valentine mastered in production, but subject to size restrictions when installing a long-barreled gun. This work began in July 1942, and the prototype was ready for testing in March 1943.

New car; Received the name "Archer", built on the "Valentine" chassis with an open top deckhouse. The rear-facing 17-pounder had a limited field of fire. The driver's seat was located similar to the base tank, and the front sheets of the wheelhouse were a continuation of the front sheets of the hull. Thus, despite the large length of the 17-pounder gun, the axis will be a relatively compact self-propelled gun with a low silhouette.

Fire tests took place in April 1943, but changes to a number of components were required, including the installation of the gun and fire control devices. Overall, the car turned out to be successful and became a priority in the production program. The first production vehicle was assembled in March 1944, and from October the Archer self-propelled guns were supplied to the anti-tank battalions of the British BTC in Northwestern Europe. In service british army"Archer" remained until the mid-50s, in addition, after the war they were supplied to other armies. Of the initially ordered 800 vehicles, Vickers built only 665. Despite the limited tactical capabilities due to the adopted weapon installation scheme, the Archer was initially considered as a temporary measure until the advent of best designs- has proven to be a reliable and effective weapon.

Performance characteristics

Archer is a British Tier 5 tank destroyer, added in patch 0.9.5. Another unusual car from a new branch. Distinctive feature- reverse speed, which is almost three times higher than forward speed due to design features

Historical reference

SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer - British anti-tank self-propelled gun from the Second World War, created on the basis of the chassis infantry tank Valentine and equipped with a 17-pounder Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder (76.2 mm) gun.

Tank destroyer Archer

17 lb. anti-tank gun It was very powerful, as well as very large and heavy, so special equipment would have been needed to move it across the battlefield. In addition, this would make the weapon more effective in defense than in attack.

For these purposes, the chassis of the Valentine tank was chosen - it was ideal for transporting such a bulky weapon. Valentine's corps did not allow the installation of a turret and they decided to install the gun in an armored wheelhouse without a roof. The gun could rotate 11 degrees both left and right. Vertical aiming angles ranged from -7.5 to +15 degrees.

The uniqueness of Archer was that its gun, unlike most other self-propelled guns, was mounted backwards, which gave certain advantages in battle.

The special placement of the gun, combined with a low silhouette, turned the Archer into an excellent ambush tank: the crew could fire a shot and drive to a safe distance.

The first prototype was ready in 1943. It was decided to produce 800 tanks.

Production of Archers began in mid-1943, and the tank was put into operation in October 1944. The Archer was used in combat in Northwestern Europe and Italy. By the end of the war, 655 tanks were produced.

Armament

QF 6-pdr AT Gun Mk. IV	QF 17-pdr AT Gun Mk. II	QF 17-pdr AT Gun Mk. VII

Specifications

Reservations:
Housing – 20/20/20
Strength 360
Chassis rotation speed – 40..46 degrees/sec.
Vertical guidance angles +15..-7.5°
Horizontal guidance angle 45°
Maximum speed +12..-32 km/h
Engine power – 162..192 hp.
Weight – 16.26 tons.
Specific power – 11.8 hp/t.
Viewing range – 325 m
Communication range – 400..550m
Crew: 4 people

Booking

Review

The car was simply created to surprise the enemy. This tank destroyer can be played according to the principle “hard to catch up, easy to escape.” It effectively fires back at the enemy while retreating, and is almost incapable of conducting active offensive operations as part of small groups.

The most effective tactic would be to take a convenient, covert position at the front edge of the offensive and support allied tanks in this direction. Second line tactics will not be as useful, because this vehicle requires significant time and effort to quickly advance and constantly support allied tanks with fire. On the other hand, it is capable of quite effectively holding off advancing opponents thanks to its excellent weapon, one-time damage And high speed reverse.

Advantages

• Good stealth
• Comfortable weapon
• High turning speed
• Small scatter from movement within horizontal angles
• Wide firing sector
• Good review
• High armor penetration
• Good accuracy
• Comfortable gun declination angles

Flaws

• To quickly change position you need to turn around
• Relatively small ammunition load
• Weak armor
• Unusual control

Bottom line

The first one is true British tank destroyer in the branch, and, undoubtedly, a very interesting and controversial car. On the one hand, low visibility, an excellent weapon, and in almost all respects, on the other hand, poor visibility and a non-standard layout, thanks to which, playing on this machine turns into “one step forward, two steps back”, because in order to drive even just 50 m you have to turn around, and upon arrival at the place you have to turn around again.

In general, the car is quite good, but it depends quite heavily on both the team (zero armor, and the enemy is unlikely to calmly watch your pirouettes, and the car is blind) and on the player’s personal skill (not everyone is good at running backwards to forwards) .

On September 23, a long-awaited event took place in Sweden. The Ministry of Defense Procurement Office (Försvarets Materielverk) accepted the first batch self-propelled howitzers FH77BW L52 Archer (“Archer”) on a wheeled chassis. Four new combat vehicles adopted into service under the name Artillerisystem 08. About a year later, the Swedish military department intends to receive a second batch of self-propelled artillery units consisting of 20 vehicles. In addition, 24 self-propelled guns will be built for Norway in the near future.

The long-awaited delivery of self-propelled guns to the customer turned out to be due to a number of technical problems. In accordance with the first contracts signed during development, Archer self-propelled guns were supposed to join the Swedish armed forces back in 2011. However, during testing of the prototypes, some shortcomings were identified, which took some time to correct. As a result, the first batch, consisting of only four pre-production combat vehicles, was handed over to the customer only in September 2013. In the future, the Swedish army will receive serial equipment.

Separately, it is necessary to note the situation with artillery in the Swedish army, which developed as a result of the failure to deliver the Archer self-propelled guns. Currently, artillery in the Swedish Armed Forces is represented only by the 9th Artillery Regiment, consisting of two divisions. By the end of 2011, due to the exhaustion of their service life, all existing towed 155-mm Bofors FH77B howitzers were written off, which is why the Swedish armed forces were completely deprived of any field artillery. It was initially assumed that the new Archer self-propelled guns would replace towed howitzers, but the problems that accompanied the creation of the self-propelled gun derailed the implementation of these plans, and as a result, the Swedish army did not have any artillery for almost two years.

The project to develop a promising self-propelled artillery unit started in 1995. In accordance with the terms of reference, the executing organization had to develop an self-propelled gun armed with a modified FH77B howitzer of 155 mm caliber. The customer demanded to improve the characteristics of the gun by increasing the barrel length. The result of the modernization of the howitzer was the FH77BW modification with a 52-caliber barrel. This is exactly the weapon that was supposed to be used in the new self-propelled gun. In addition, the customer's requirements implied the use of a wheeled chassis.

The preliminary stage of the project took several years. Only in 2003, the Swedish Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Bofors. This document provided for the completion of the project and the subsequent construction of serial self-propelled guns. In 2005, the first prototypes of a promising self-propelled gun were built. Testing of self-propelled guns began after the transformation of the Bofors company into BAE Systems Bofors.

A Volvo A30D with a 6x6 wheel arrangement was chosen as the chassis for the new self-propelled artillery mount. The chassis is equipped with a 340 horsepower diesel engine, which allows the combat vehicle to reach highway speeds of up to 65 km/h. The wheeled chassis is said to be able to move through snow up to one meter deep. If the wheels are damaged, including due to an explosion, the Archer self-propelled gun is capable of continuing to move for some time.

An interesting feature of the Archer self-propelled gun chassis is the architecture used. The A30D has an articulated design that improves maneuverability. At the front of the chassis, above the first axle and up to the articulation unit, is the engine compartment and cockpit. The engine and crew are covered with bulletproof armor corresponding to level 2 of the NATO standard STANAG 4569. The cabin accommodates workplaces for three or four crew members. Depending on the nature of the operation being performed, the crew may have one or two weapons operators. The driver and commander are always present in the crew. On the roof of the cockpit there is space for installing a Protector remote-controlled turret with a machine gun.

All components of the gun are located on the rear module of the articulated chassis. Above the rear axle of the chassis there are mechanisms for lifting and turning the gun turret. The gun is aimed by turning and raising the entire turret. The self-propelled gun mechanisms allow you to aim the gun vertically in the angle range from 0° to +70°. Due to the characteristics of the wheeled chassis, horizontal aiming angles are limited: Archer can fire at targets in the front sector with a width of 150° (75° to the right and left of the axis). To stabilize the vehicle when firing, a double outrigger is used at the rear of the chassis. In the stowed position, the gun module rotates to a neutral position, lowering the howitzer barrel into a special tray covered with covers. The dimensions of the base car required an interesting solution. Thus, when the self-propelled gun is moved to the stowed position, the gun's recoil devices move the barrel to the rearmost position, which allows it to be placed in the existing tray.

The Archer wheeled self-propelled gun is quite large in size. The maximum length of the combat vehicle exceeds 14 meters, width - 3 meters. Without the use of the Protector turret, the height of the self-propelled gun is 3.3 meters, and after installing this combat module increases by about 60 cm. The combat weight of the Archer self-propelled gun does not exceed 30 tons. The dimensions and weight of the FH77BW L52 self-propelled artillery mount allow it to be transported by rail. In the future, it is planned to use Airbus A400M military transport aircraft for this purpose.

During combat work, the Archer self-propelled gun crew is constantly at their workplaces and does not leave them. All operations are carried out according to commands from control panels. In this regard, all mechanisms of the gun turret operate automatically. The main elements of the turret equipment are the loading mechanisms. According to reports, instead of a single system, the Archer self-propelled gun uses two mechanisms that interact with each other. One of them fires 155mm shells. Mechanized stowage capacity – 21 shells. The second loading system operates with propellant charges supplied in the form of cylindrical blocks with a combustible shell, reminiscent of a charging cap. The Archer self-propelled gun turret stack accommodates 126 blocks with a propellant charge. When using a transport-loading vehicle with a cargo crane, it takes about eight minutes to fully load the ammunition load.

Depending on the task at hand, the crew of the FH77BA L52 Archer self-propelled howitzer can increase or decrease the total amount of propellant mixture by changing the number of charges placed in the gun. With the maximum number of propellant charges, self-propelled Archer howitzer capable of sending a projectile to a target at a distance of up to 30 kilometers. The use of active-reactive or guided ammunition increases the firing range to 60 km. The latter is declared for the Excalibur adjustable projectile. The Archer self-propelled gun can fire directly, but in this case the effective firing range does not exceed two kilometers.

The gun's loading mechanisms provide a rate of fire of up to 8-9 rounds per minute. If necessary, the self-propelled gun crew can fire in MRSI mode (the so-called barrage of fire), firing six shots over a short period of time. A salvo of 21 shots (full ammunition) takes no more than three minutes. When developing the Archer self-propelled gun, the need to reduce the time required to prepare for firing and leave a position was taken into account. As a result, the self-propelled gun can carry out some of the preparations for firing while still on the way to the position. Thanks to this, the first shot is fired within 30 seconds after stopping at the desired point on the route. During this time, the outrigger is lowered and the tower is brought into firing position. After completing the fire mission, the crew transfers the combat vehicle to the stowed position and leaves the position. It also takes about 30 seconds to prepare to leave the position.

The FH77BW L52 Archer self-propelled gun is equipped with a modern digital fire control system. Electronic equipment and associated systems allow the crew to carry out all necessary operations without leaving their workplaces. In addition, the automation takes on some of the important actions related to preparation for firing: determining the coordinates of the self-propelled guns, calculating the required pointing angles and firing according to the MRSI algorithm. When using a guided projectile Excalibur or similar, the automation prepares the ammunition for firing.

As already mentioned, the first production Archer self-propelled guns were supposed to be delivered to the troops back in 2011. However, during development, some problems emerged with a number of systems used. It took several years to eliminate the shortcomings, which ultimately led to missed deadlines. Even during testing and development, the first contracts for the supply of serial combat vehicles were signed. In 2008, Sweden ordered eight new self-propelled guns, Norway - one. A few months later, the Scandinavian states decided to jointly finance the project. In accordance with the 2009 contract, BAE Systems Bofors must supply the two countries with 24 self-propelled artillery units.

Negotiations regarding possible export contracts are currently ongoing. The Archer self-propelled gun has attracted the interest of military personnel from Denmark and Canada. These states are negotiating the supply of a certain number of combat vehicles. It is known that Denmark can purchase no more than two dozen self-propelled guns. Until recently, negotiations were ongoing with Croatia. This country was going to buy at least 24 FH77BW L52 self-propelled guns to replace aging Soviet-made equipment. However economic problems did not allow Croatia to purchase Swedish combat vehicles. As a result of lengthy comparisons and negotiations, the Croatian armed forces decided to buy 18 used PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers from Germany. Delivery of the purchased self-propelled guns will begin in 2014.

Combat and operational characteristics make the self-propelled artillery installation FH77BW L52 Archer is a worthy representative of its class military equipment. However, some technical solutions, applied in the project, at one time led to several difficulties. All this could have a negative impact on the reputation of the project. Due to difficulties in developing the Archer self-propelled guns, the Swedish army was left without field artillery for quite a long time, and several months remain before the start of mass deliveries of new self-propelled guns. It should be noted that even before the start of mass production, the Archer self-propelled gun attracted the attention of potential buyers in third countries. It is quite possible that new contracts for the supply of self-propelled guns will be signed in the very near future.

Based on materials from sites:
http://baesystems.com/
http://militaryparitet.com/
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/
http://army-guide.com/
http://globalsecurity.org/