Ukraine's Devastating Archer Self-Propelled Howitzers Outrange Russian Artillery

Sweden's Archer self-propelled howitzer has become the backbone of Ukraine's artillery for good reasons: it can be loaded, fired and then move within 30 seconds due to its automated aiming, loading and firing which can hit targets as far as 30 miles away. 

It is reliable, easy to use and effective. As a result, it outshoots and moves faster than its Russian opponents, giving Ukraine a decided advantage in this increasingly drone-driven conflict. JL

Brandon Weichert reports in The National Interest:

Sweden's Archer “shoot-and-scoot” self-propelled howitzer has become the centerpiece of the Ukrainian artillery capability due to its reliability, ease of use, and deadly effectiveness. The Archer is among the leading lethal artillery systems in Western arsenals today. The howitzer can hit targets as far away as 24-31 miles (40-50 kilometers) well outside the effective range of Russian tube artillery, allowing Ukrainian units to strike with relative impunity. The Archer can halt, deploy, fire, and reposition all in under 30 seconds. In the unforgiving terrain of Ukraine, in which mud and forests are the defining features, that’s a huge advantage. The system is entirely automated. It automatically loads, aims, and fires…all from inside an armored cab.

Sweden has delivered 26 Archer self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. The Swedish military plans to deliver many more of these Archer self-propelled howitzers. And the Archer “shoot-and-scoot” self-propelled howitzer has become the centerpiece of the Ukrainian Armed Forces artillery capability—supported by the Archer’s reliability, ease of use, and deadly effectiveness.

Why Sweden Sees Ukraine as Its Own Frontline 

The delivery of the Archer system to the battlefield in Ukraine represents a sustained commitment from Sweden. This can best be explained by the fact that Sweden, being a neighbor of Russia with a history of hostilities with Moscow, clearly feels unity with Ukraine’s struggle—and the Swedish government probably believes that failure to support Ukraine now might lead to an eventuality wherein Russia does to Sweden what it is currently doing to Ukraine.

 

Officially designated “FH77BW L52” by its creators in BAE Systems Bofors, the Archer is a self-propelled howitzer sporting the NATO standard 155mm cannon. As opposed to other, similar tracked systems, the Archer is wheeled and mounted atop a heavy-duty articulated truck chassis. It is designed for high-tempo, rapid movement warfare (hence, the “shoot-and-scoot” designation).

In fact, the Swedes who designed this system did so according to a very simple concept: firing quickly, shooting farther than their rivals, and vanishing into the terrain well before enemy retaliation.

 

Toward that end, the Archer is a lethal system—among the leading lethal artillery systems in Western arsenals today. The howitzer can hit targets as far away as 24-31 miles (40-50 kilometers). That’s well outside the effective range of much Russian tube artillery, allowing for Ukrainian units to strike with relative impunity. One video on YouTube recently detailed how the members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces believe the Archer is the best artillery system in their arsenal.

Although the image of World War I-esque trenches has become the defining image of the Ukrainian frontlines, modern warfare can be dynamic. This is especially true along the periphery, where artillery (and now even tanks) have been positioned to attack the enemy. The Russians are skilled at counter-artillery attacks. But the Archer is unique because it has greater range and mobility, meaning it is harder for the Russian Armed Forces to detect, defend against, and destroy with counter-battery fire. 

The Archer can halt, deploy, fire, and reposition…all in under 30 seconds. Seconds. In the unforgiving terrain of Ukraine, in which mud and forests are the defining features, that’s a huge advantage. 

What’s more the Swedish Archer self-propelled howitzer system is entirely automated. It automatically loads, aims, and fires…all from inside a comfortable, armored cab. This reduces crew fatigue, improves accuracy, and drastically enhances the survivability in battlefields overrun by lethal drones.

Meanwhile, the Archer can fire multiple rounds on a variety of trajectories so that they all hit their target at once—firing a high shell, then lower one, calculating the trajectory such that they all land on the same target at the same time. This is a process known as “Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact.” For Russian armor, artillery positions, and troop concentrations, they will have little warning, less time to disperse, and no second chances.

Ukraine Has Used the Archer to Great Effect

Ukraine’s 43rd and 45th Artillery Brigades have used Archer extensively on the southern front, where long distances and open terrain favor precision and range. Reports highlight the repeated destruction of Russian artillery systems, successful strikes on armored vehicles and logistics hubs, and high survivability (despite pervasive drone coverage). Indeed, this is one of the few Western systems that apparently has outperformed expectations against the Russian bear.

 

Kyiv’s defenders on the southern front have further perfected their tactics with this innovative and dominant artillery system by concealing the systems in dug-in firing pits, camouflaging them significantly while using electronic warfare (EW) techniques to suppress Russian drones before they can fire.

As of this month, 26 Archer systems have been delivered to Ukraine, with Sweden pledging a total of 44 systems to the fight. Another 18 of these Archer self-propelled howitzers are being acquired for future delivery. The Swedes have already supplied 10 spare cannon barrels due to the high operational tempo of Ukraine’s forces.

 

The Archer System Won’t Save Ukraine on Its Own

Sadly, wars—especially of the attritional type that Ukraine has become—are not won by any single weapon or platform. At the strategic level and, for the most part, at the tactical level, the Russians maintain their dominance. But the Archer is one significant bright spot for Kyiv’s struggling frontline forces. 

Archer has shifted the local balance of firepower where they have been stationed. But there are far too few of these systems…and it is unlikely that there will ever be enough of them, given the operational tempo of the war and the demands on the Western defense industrial base. 

The real value of the Archer system lies in its counter-battery dominance, along with its deep-strike precision. This forces Russian units to disperse and relocate constantly, stymying whatever offensives they may be planning while compounding Russian ammunition and barrel-wear problems. 

Ukraine understands that, in this war of attrition, the Russian preference is to mass forces whenever possible and use that mass to overwhelm the defenses of their Ukrainian enemies. The Archer prevents that massing from happening.

 

In the Ukraine War, and likely future wars, mobility plus range plus automation equals the preferred methodology in combat rather than the thickness of one’s armor.