For being a small country that has stayed out of war for over a century we are still quite good at making things that go boom in Sweden! Archer, Excalibur, AT4, the CG recoilless rifle, NLAW (developed by SAAB in Sweden), Bofors 40mm, Gripen, CV90... 😊
The entire NLAW concept was developed by RARDE and was on the shelf, waiting for production, by 1990. The RARDE work even included critical component design, specifically the tracking system rate sensors that were designed and manufactured by the Precision Products Group of BAE and eventually used within NLAW, together with secret patents for the guidance system, fusing systems, warhead design and rocket motor. It was the collapse of the Soviet Union that resulted in the project being shelved. When LAW 80 came to end of life MOD, quite sensibly, looked for a solution in production that could be modified, but I would definitely take issue with the claim that NLAW was developed in Sweden. MOD always had respect for Swedish man-portable anti-armour weapons, so it was no surprise that an existing SAAB design came closest to the NLAW requirements.
@@glynnwright1699 the NLAW we see used in for example Ukraine was a joint venture between the Swedish and British MOD using over 20 years research, so they most likely used parts of the RARDE research. But the final development and design was still made by SAAB Bofors Dynamics and it's now primarily produced in Ireland by Thales.
@@nissetorvang1709 The NLAW guidance system came from operational research conducted by Hunting Engineering when seeking a better solution than the LAW 80 spotting rifle, which they manufactured as part of the LAW 80 anti-armour weapon. The components of the guidance system were evolved from the USA Copperhead programme and were in production at BAE by 1984. The association between the Copperhead and NLAW requirements were identified in 1982. The LAW 80 replacement programme, which was led by RARDE and actually called NLAW, had a full operational specification, almost identical to the final production weapon by 1983 and every element of that design had been functionally field tested at RARDE by 1990. All that work was done independently by RARDE with assistance from Hunting Engineering. The whole design was secured by secret patents. It is no surprise that SAAB's solution, a decade later, had converged on a similar design, albeit without the guidance system.
It is bad that the Swedish government factually has committed ethnic cleansing killing 3 million ethnic Swedes since 1980 and replacing them with Africans and Arabs. 1948 99.2% of ethnic Swedes. 1975 85% ethnic Swedes. Today about 50%. (and I never criticize the immigrants. It is not their fault. It is the media's fault and corrupt politicians who have made the population retarded) Sweden is unique in how its IQ is going down. From 104 average 20 years ago to about 99 today. All the rocket scientists that walk into the country (according to media. All immigrants are highly educated rocket scientists even if 50% of them can't read or write according to SFI School Swedish for immigrants):
I have some experience with Volvo's A30, A35 and A40 articulated dump trucks from about 12 years ago. Mainly C and D variants but the new ones are very similar to the D version. I can tell you that atleast the dump truck versions are very capable off road. They're meant for construction sites and mines etc. The Archer version is slightly longer but I think the only issues with that would be avoiding obstacles (trees etc.) and not the actual off road capability per se. With an articulated truck you can wiggle your way through quite a lot of mud and stuff if you get stuck whereas with an 8x8 truck you can't. Anyone who has driven an articulated dump truck knows what I mean. If mines run those Volvo (and other) dump trucks 24/7, I don't think claming they're difficult to maintain really holds true. Yes you need to lubricate a bunch of joints and bearings but usually there's an automatic greaser which does most of the job for you. The truck is going to be faster on the road, of course, but I'd say that the articulated dump truck is probably better off road. That's just my opinion.
Yea.. I think the road speed. And also hight, is the main issue. Possible logistics tail. You really don't need to run a artilery gun in the terain. Is not like you have to be in a very specific place to shoot.
it literally is, most of swedens flat terrain has underground rivers of mud uppsala central station has shifted by 10+ cms since 2012 and that is concrete reinforced packed ground i have almost drowned in a field during the thaw and the entire country is littered with bogs, a critical stipulation in swedish procurement of any vehicle is ground preassure, ukrainian mud isnt special its special for western europe because of the high density of built up infrastructure etc but mud is mud and the muddy season becomes more severe with the constant freezing and thawing not because there is a specific type of ground in this area@@str8forthakill
@@str8forthakill Well, The Ukrainians as far as i know has not complained now when they got this system in action. They have said this system is very good,accurate, fast, and mobile, they have also said that the archer has no complications, it works very good and doesent have problems. Im Swedish atleast, so i ask u t his question have u ever even been in Sweden and seen our terrain and weather condictions? 4+ months of the year we got bad weather with rain or snow and tempratures down to -1 - -30 celcius, or like 1-8+ celcius. 3+ months of the year we got nice sunny weather most of the time, the rest of the year "spring" its okay climate , but wich can change from minus to + or the other way just on a couple of days. Why would "Ukranian mud" be diffrent from ours lol? its only when u start digging like 50-100 cm down in the ground u will se diffrences, because we got alot of stone in the ground, Ukraine seems to have very flat grounds, the terrain down there looks like the terrain we got in "Skåne" wich is mostly farm land. And Archer works fine for us
Swedish artillery has been leading the development for many decades. The "Bandkanon 1" from 1965 could fire 14 shells in 45 seconds! Then we have the FH 77 and now the Archer ❤
i was a gunner on fh77a it made a lot of noise with lng 4 of 6 at ARTSS we shot 20 rounds a day 4 days a week for 4 months. Riktare på pjäsen. blev bortdömd med direktsiktet på "löpande stridsvagn". Granaten studsade for igenom måltavlan och briserade längre bort. Jag kunde se hålet i tavlan igenom direktsiktet men det var det inget befäl som brydde sig om. Surt. Atelleripjäser är inte gjotda för prickskytte, men det går.
"Swedish artillery has been leading the development for many decades" 🤣🤣🤣 Sure man, they won some 100 wars in last decades, and the Swedish arty is famous over the world for its effectiveness in real wars ! You must live in a parallel Universe, dude... Sweden have less than ZERO experience in battle-proven artillery... And LESS than zero in modern wars !
@@mirandela777 LOL, u dont know shit about weapon systems. There is a fking reason why the Swedish military took this weapon system in over others. We got the money to buy foreign stuff if we want, but this system suits our own needs better. So i guess u belive that the Swedish military know jack shit about arms eh? We been training with Nato and our allies for decades at this point. Russia has been in alot of wars that is "modern" and how well are the performing now? poorly, You dont have to be in a fking war in order to produce good hardware. Our CV90 for instance is ranked as one of the best IFV´s in the world, and we produced that whitout any wars. Our Gripen 39 E-D is considered to be one of the best fighter air planes that is not a stealth fighter jet. Our Carl gustaf is considered to be one of the best in the field. Our submarines is considered to be one of the most stealthy and deadly in the world. I can go on more than this. Sweden has allways been producing good hardware. Go play some more video games, i can tell that u clearly has no military training, or understanding of military weapons, or u are just some pissed off russian or something, cause this fking weapon is now killing russians, and so is the CV90, Ukraine want more CV90 from us , cause the vechicle is fking amazing. Have u ever even heard of these good swedish weapons? Excalibur,. . NLAW u name it. We also have one of the best in the world counter meisures for eletronic warfare.
@@MrMk82 Who the fk nows, she/he is probably some pissed of Russian/allied country to Russia. that is butthurt now when this weapon system if killing there soldiers lol
Sweden is going for RMMV for the 48 on order, not because truck mounted is better but because the A30E isn't made anymore, more work would have to be done to adapt it to the new A30G, which would likely delay delivery further and increase prices. And Volvo might soon develop the next version. It's the downside (and also upside) of the civilian market, it moves a lot faster than the militay market. A30E production only ran for 3 years until it was replaced with a new model. RMMV HX has been produced for close to 16 years. I've run a A25C and its brilliant in off-road, don't expect the A30E to be any different.
There is not a huge different between the A30E compared to A30G. The engine on the G is larger and have particle filter and scr. Other then that its same platform.
Volvo articulated haulers has been in use for a long time in the Swedish defence, for example with combat engineres. And they worked great in that role. This kind of vehicle is also often used for lumbering and, and I doubt that a vehicle with bad offroad capabilities would be used in that role.
He did mention early on in the video that it was a Government to Government contract with Sweden, the system was designed and built by Bofors, mind you Bofors is now owned by BAE Systems.
@@Biljoona That's a debatable one, BMW claim their designer, Frank Stephenson a Moroccan born American, designed it but Rover say they had already designed it when BMW took them over, it is however built in the U.K., well one version is at least, lol.
When I heard that Archer had a top speed of 70 km/h, I thought, Hmmm... I wonder. The reason for my skepticism comes from having worked at Volvo's transmission development department in Eskilstuna, Sweden. It was a while ago, but I vividly remember a project there aiming to develop an articulated dump truck for high speeds. Although I wasn't personally involved in the project, the division wasn't very large, and communication between projects and departments was good. The high-speed articulated dump truck project garnered significant interest, so it was well-known what they were doing and how the work was progressing. The idea of selling a dump truck with the articulated truck's off-road capability but the normal truck's speed was enticing. To verify the concept, they took an A25, a predecessor to the A30 with, as I recall, essentially the same type of axles and suspension, i.e., a front axle with suspension. They then changed the gearing in the drivetrain to achieve a top speed comparable to regular trucks. The next step was to rent an airport with plenty of space to drive fast without hitting anything in case of an accident. I still remember everyone's anticipation and excitement when the team with the modified A25 set off. When they returned a few days later, it was clear from a distance that the tests hadn't gone well. Everyone's expressions were downcast. It turned out you could not drive much faster than the articulated truck normally did, around 40 km/h. If you drove faster than that, it was fine as long as you went straight, but if you needed to turn, there were problems-so many problems that it wasn't deemed safe for traffic. This is why you don't see many articulated vehicles on the road; you mostly find them in agriculture or at construction sites. So, when BAE said the next Archer would be built on an 8x8 truck chassis, I immediately thought, Ahaaa... they've realized they need to move farther and faster than they initially thought. Is this a problem? It depends. If you're engaging a target, it's undoubtedly an advantage if you can position yourself optimally for your firepower. The optimal position may not be where an 8x8 truck can go. Here, a tracked vehicle is clearly better. But with a tracked vehicle, you might not get there in time. How much better or worse, then, is an 8x8 truck compared to an articulated truck? Well, I haven't driven an 8x8 truck, but I've driven articulated dump trucks quite a bit, and I know what stops them. It's the load-bearing capacity, i.e., how much tire surface area you have to support your weight, plus to some extent, tire grip and, of course, good differential locks that make the difference. If the ground is firm enough, and there are no really large and steep holes or big rocks in the way, you can move forward. But if the ground is too loose, you will sink, and then you get stuck. The standard trick then to get free is to tip off the load. That usually gets you unstuck. But you can't really do that on an Archer, i.e., dump the cannon. So, what do I want to convey with this? That an Archer on an 8x8 truck chassis is probably better. It will certainly move faster than an A30-based Archer. When you then need to find your optimal firing position, the 8x8 variant may be limited by its poorer agility (turning radius and wheel articulation). Still, with large wheels (good load-bearing capacity) and proper differential locks, you should be able to find almost as good firing positions as with an A30-based Archer. But, it doesn’t look as cool.
@terrycallaghan8269 I served using the 25 pounder, I can still feel the kick off her. Got to use it just before our regiment were to be up gunned with the 105mm. We got a round in the barrel once at an angle, wouldn't go fully in nor come out, so the tiffy beat it with a hammer to fit, I nearly got a heart attack when he started hammering first, lol. After hearing our screams of WTF are you doing, he sent us behind the ditch "just in case'. Health and safety was well behind get it over with so we can get to the bar back then.
The articulated Volvo chassis appears to be similar, if not the same as, the ones used for their rock trucks. These trucks handle very rugged terrain quite well and the articulation also gives a tighter turning radius. Another advantage COULD be that if the piece encounters very extreme condition and it rolls over on its side, only the rear will roll, better protecting the driver. Recovery of the roll over is easier in these cases as well as the motor, fluids and such are not as disturbed and in many cases can just drive away once uprighted. See this happened multiple times with the rock truck version.
Simply amazing, seeing that machine in action. So much for counter battery return; by the time those rounds land, it's already gone from firing position. Good choice, Brits!
Except if is a drone near, who can spot you after the first round... and this is a very vulnerable system, the protection level is almost non-existent.
@@mirandela777 The cabin is Highly armoured. the crew never needs to leave it during a mission. so no gap where doors or hatches are opened. if the gun sytem is destroyed, the cabin can drive of on its own. and the turret on the roof is automated to shoot at both air and ground threats within its proximity. This includes smaller short range drones. Then again the archer fires from up to 60km away depending on which rounds used. that's further than most drones operate, and even if they fire at the location within 30 sec, the enemy projectiles aerial time wont allow it to land before the archer has moved out.
@@lovehagglund3234 "The cabin is Highly armoured. " 🤣🤣🤣 Are you high on something, dude ?? That is THIN, VERY LIGHT protection ! Or you try to convince me is MORE armored than a tank turret ?! And about drone range : the new Lancet reach 75km range, and carry a 5 kg+ shaped charge - able to pen 150mm armor in no time - now try to say that cabin has 200mm armor on top !
@@mirandela777 Crew separated from gun and ammunition Crew never has to leave the cabin during combat FULL protection against NBC threats, artillery fragmentation, mine attacks and blast overpressure Optional Advanced Multispectral Camouflage System. Straight from BAE 'systems' own webpage. Go suck on a hamster kid.
My all-time favourite artillery....the good old 155mm Bandkanon, fastest gun if I remember correctly back in the day, 15 shots in 45 seconds.... I remember working for a for a company dealing with these back in the 90's, these Volvos are MASSIVE, we had to let air out the tires to get them through the doors that we had and our doors were HUGE to begin with!
I believe the new Archers Sweden ordered will be on MAN trucks as well, the Volvo vehicle that is used for the older batch is not in production anymore. I doubt it has weak off-road capabality though, it was/is used in e.g forrest and mining industry.
The truck is originally MAN, 8 wheel version was 10 tons used by 4CMBG starting in 84 and it raced a Leo and won. Ex Canadian Army Commander Leslie did say once Archer is his number one priority.
The 6x6 version of the archer have no trouble with offroad, especially in the snow where it can "swim" with the articulation. It is not nice to drive for more than 3hours on road but it can be done. One thing that i can see peaple complain about here in the comments is the magazine size of 21 granades. The archer is part of a system with two vehicles, and the second one is the ammunition carrier truck that (with a well trained crew) can fill up a complete magazine with powder and granades in under 10 minutes. The best tactic to use with a archer is the shoot and scoot and this means that you always can make a pit stop at your local ammo truck //A swedish conscript Archerdriver
Light Gun. Brilliant piece of kit. Also always had a soft spot for the mighty 25 pounder as seen so brilliantly in A Bridge Too Far. Ex-Royal Artillery. Happy Christmas Mat.
M7 priest/sexton, specifically its advantage logistically and mobility wise for allied armored units. Thank you for a great video Matt! Hope these archers will be as useful as the longbows at Agincourt.
This is just me speculating but I think the swedish version is partly based on Volvo's own articulated damp truck series of construction vehicles. You can see the trickle down DNA like the Volvo A60H. And they are off road monsters.
It's the A30, they just armored it and replaced the dumper bed with the gun. Why build something from scratch when one of your companies already mass produces something that's perfect for the task.
I have shot Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50 during my military service in the Swedish Artillery so that howitzer is close to my heart . Field howitzer F, F is letter for France
Sarge, another great video. I've been a big fan of the Archer as soon as I saw it. I like the protection offered to the (very small) gun crew. I see that as being an advantage to the RCA if it were to be considered as a replacement for the M777, C3, and LG 1.
Krauss-Maffei Wegman (KMW) RCH 155, it's the first howitzer that can fire while moving. And such things should always be produced domestically, things like licensed production are almost always possible. Same is with ammunition production.
Deadly, accurate, nifty, compact, and self-contained. This is one of my favorite modern artillery pieces aside from the German PHZ 2000 and the French Ceasar Mark II.
I did serve with 2 of the Bofors platforms, the Haubits 77 (same base barrel and the loader is used in the Archer) and the old but sturdy 105mm Carl Gustav. Great pieces at the end of 80s. If I watch the operation of many of the modern towed ones today they are not even close the old 77
An Ukrainian Artillery Officer operating the Archer referred to it as the Mercedes Benz of Self propelled Artillery and it has a 100% hit on target ratio with 1-2 rounds. War tested speaks for itself,I hope it will prove itself useful to our British friends aswell🇬🇧🇸🇪
@@TheBoobancomes a point when "better" stops being applicable and will come down to purely extraneous factors What's better? Rafale or eurofighter? Abrams or challenger 2? Archer or caesar? Each of these systems have differences but in terms of how "good" they are it's up to factors that are independant from the system itself. Crew, logistics, readyness, intel, morale, dumb luck etc... If you want an objective answer, the caesar is the only one that has been extensively battle tested. As for the boxer part it must be a joke right? You can't mount a 155 mm gun with its turret, no amount of ductape will produce a capable 155 mm howitzer boxer.
@@pougetguillaume4632 you can’t say a truck can haul 155mm artillery but boxer can’t. It could be articulated or towed, same as this truck. And yes, Caesar has been battle tested, and it’s been said Caesar doesn’t work well in the cold. That’s why I want to know. Plenty of things the numbers don’t show when these machines are actually used.
Hello Mat.... with respect to the volvo chassis I can add some infor, maybe interesting. If you look to the front part of articulated dump truck (ATD), you see an agricultural tractor yet without the front wheels. Well, that is... because it is. In its basic design it is adapted from a tractor with trailer. The rear wheels of a tractor have a very big diameter. If a wheel sinks into soft ground, the support surface increases. In case of a bigger wheel, the support surface becomes much bigger as well. Believe it or not, but the ground pressure is acually less than e.g. a leopard 2 (unloaded). When fully loaded, it may be 30-40% higher (depending on the tyres). On its turn that is half of that of a regular car. Low ground pressure is a key requirement in agriculture and forestry. Yet, the military does not seem to bother very much... except... in Sweden. Hagglunds are all designed with low ground pressure in mind, especially the BVs. The best wheeled alternative is.... an ATD. Besides low ground pressure, these machines also have a low turning circle, much less than a rigid chassis and exceptional wading depth (up to 2 meter). Another advantage is that they are extreme robust. The volvo chassis (almost) meets the requirements regarding mine protection. Spare parts are low costs and available all over the world. Moreover, operating costs are (relatively) low as well. Yet, from a military perspective it also has several disadvantages. One is the highly exposed position of the driver cabin. In terms of terrain capabilities, the approach angle in the front is much less, while having more difficulting with traversing 1 meter wide trench. Down the line though, "success" is determined by "real-life" limmitations. If you look at Ukraine, mud is a notoriously limmitation. This is totally different from a stable sandy training ground. I am a forestry engineer. Within the forestry sector all machines have an articulated chassis. The choice between a articulated or rigid chassis a no-brainer, unless the vehicles can drive over smooth tracks. Then again, forestry operations do not suffer from bullets flying around.
Also with the choice of the chassis it might be prudent to look whether the UK isn't using the MAN chassis, or intending to use it, for other transports and whether they don't want to use this to stream-line the logistics.
Definitely still need tracked 155mm. I wonder if Archer could be adapted to a current tracked system - maybe mounted back to front, like the first bearer of the name from WW2.
You asked what is our favorite piece of artillery (now or in the past) and for me one of my favorites is the American Civil war heavy mortar and especially the ones mounted on gunboats or on those little railroad flat cars.
Is the JV called 'Project Mother' 😂 Good to see we're getting Archer. Seems the perfect fit for the agile, aggressive disruption tactics that the UKAF have adopted. Favourite artillery piece: QF 25-pdr - epic service history, versatile, highly mobile, packed a punch, and the iconic Morris C8 Quad ❤
My favorite Artillery Piece is the K9 Vajra-T of the Indian Army. It has the exceptional capability of the K9 Thunder, with a direct firing sight. So, it’s a full package. 🔥
Did my military duty on Haubits 77A abd of course it have a special place in my heart but i have to sa, Archer is both wonderful and effectiv so i must say Archer although all great memories of the old H77.
The articulated one is the same used for hauling timber out of the forest. It is obviously superior to truck chassis if there is a lot of nature requiring off road capability or very bad roads. However since it is less abumdant there are fewer technicians (outside of major wood production countries, i.e Sweden and Finland in Europe) and thus a truck chassis may be better in countries with a lot of countryside roads everywhere and little logging.
Articulated haulers are ubiquitous in off road heavy civil work too. If the platform didn’t work and were maintenance queens they wouldn’t be profitable and wouldn’t be widely used. Volvo sold thousands of articulated chassis before BAE wanted to be turn it into a technical. It’s like saying a Toyota pickup truck is a terrible platform for a heavy machine gun.
Experience, M29A1, 81mm mortar. MOS, 0341. Thats what I did. Interest, battle field radar. Tracking incoming rounds and back track to point of origin. It was rarely talked about in the Marines but, the Army had more info and use regarding it.
Personally, my favourite is the anti-siege artillery system using Live Cow rounds in Monty Python & the Holy Grail.. - Fetchez la vache! - Quoi? - Fetchez la vache!"
I'm a product of boys service in the mid 1960's, trained on 25 Pdr's and then posted to the depot regiment at Larkhill and did 105mm Packs, 105mm Abbot SP along with 5.5" Howitzer (fired occasionally for sound ranging!) also manned the M107. We had seven 25 Pdr's in the battery as well as 6 Abbots; that all sounds quite boastful but is not intended to be, my favourite equipment? It has to be my first love, the 25 Pdr!
This is a Swedish Artillery system. Designed by Bofors on behest of the Swedish government for their military. BAE might own Bofors now. But this is Swedish from ground up. Sweden was literally the only nation fielding these systems. Until maybe very recently British did.
Never had any experience with the Archer. However, I worked for a construction company that would rent Volvo articulating dump trucks for road projects. From what I seen of those trucks, the articulating connection allows a lot of twisting movement. The twisting range was actually surprising. The construction company also used Caterpillar articulating dump trucks too, which were similar. I never got to work on one, because those were not owned by the company, just rental or lease with maintenance/ repair done by the dealerships. IMO, the M142 HIMARS is the best artillery. I would have said that before the war in Ukraine, so it is not based on that. It can be loaded into a C130 and flown to forward positions or behind enemy lines. It has very good accuracy. It is light and fast when on the road. The USMC even chained some to the deck of an LPD and fired from a moving ship to accurately hit land targets. So, as far as mobility, it has everything needed. The only down side: it requires rockets and large pods of rockets, which require bulk logistics.
Matt for me it's gotta be the German self propelled artillary Panzerhaubitze 2000. Think I spelled that right, I just love that piece of equipment. Kinda want the Canadian armed forces to buy a few of those we already use the leopards 2 tanks. I also think the South Koran K9A1 its a really solid piece of artillery as well. Anyways Matt great video as usual and thank you for your service and congrats on the new promotion.
My 3.5in medieval muzzleloader named julieanna black Powder 250g/8oz load ...yes you can own a big gun in the UK..she has been to Denmark Sweden France Wales and places in between.last outing was Leeds castle before lockdown but we hope to go on the road next season.and a 3in breach loader that has also travelled well called rose
Have to disagree about the "Next Generation" part. It literally is the last generation. The next one and a upgrade in every regard (x), is the "RCH 155" from KMW and it would make sense for the Royal Army to adopt it, since it is operating the BOXER anyways. (x) > Can shoot on the move, thus next level "Shoot and Scoot" ability. > Longer barrel, longer range, more accuracy. > No need to extend or retract the barrel before or after shooting. > Does not need to extend struts for stability. > Can load more ammo (30 rounds instead of 20). > Smaller dimensions and no hinge between truck and trailer, making maneuvering in forests easier and faster. > 360 degree field of fire (even when firing on the move). > Parts commonality with BOXER. (Which probably also results in a lower price, at least for a customer who already operates the BOXER.) > Higher rate of fire and responsiveness because the magazine and reloading mechanism aren't attached to the barrel and you don't have to shift around all that weight just to move the barrel. > BOXER modularity will make future upgrades easier and cheaper, because you can just slap a new weapon module on to the vehicle module. > New tracked BOXER drive module would enable a mixed fleet where you have some wheeled and some tracked SPGs while all using the same weapon module.
Swedish Archer says hello 💪🏼 🏹 🇸🇪 😎 Shoot 35 km (22 miles) with Bofors BONUS shell. And with Excalibur shell from an Archer it go 50 km (31 miles) Newest test: 70 km (43 miles). New record. The Archer system can be put on anything - To further show that point, BAE is testing the RMMV HX as a carrier for Archer systems.
I have a hard time beliving the Volvo chassie would have it hard of road. Rather the opposite. There 10 pf thousands of those in use and they all work exelently. The archer is also lightly loaded compare to the civilian version. I would rather think its on road condition that is the main drawback of the Volvo truck. That is... its a bit slower. Yea. 90km/h road speed. That is a lot faster than 65 of the volvo
Agree. The articulated hauler is based on tried and tested technology since decades back. This type of veichle is used in mining and logging, where they operate in remote locations and often run close to 24 hours a day weeks on end. Articulated front loaders are one of the most commonly seen machines in all kinds of roles. They are in the same family of veichle too. I can't imagine that these would be in use on every other construction site, industrial lot and farm, if they were so difficult to maintain.
I thought it was a shame that the Archer ultimately didn't get selected as the British Army's full replacement of the AS90. That was until I saw the capabilities of the RCH 155 that did win. That platform is yet another incredible step up: Fast, modular and well protected wheeled chassis; full CBRN protection; 2 man crew with an autoloading turret: 360 degree traverse; Direct fire capability; Instant shoot-and-scoot (no set-up required AT ALL) and the feature I never thought I'd see on any SPG - the ability to accurately fire on the move!
Isn't A30 supposed to drive off-road? Damn sure it is used in the Forest and Mines in Kiruna, the shit talk sounds like bullshit. The Only downside is that its harder to get replacement parts for service etc, but that is going to change quick if more Armies start to use it.
My disabled partner, is a former British Gunner, actually Air Defence Gunner. His list of best British Artillery Systems, are as follows. Rapier both towed and tracked, ManPad Blowpipe and Javelin, plus the old Thunderbird SAM's and especially the old 40/70mm Bofors AAA Guns. As for field artillery, the old towed 25-pounder and 5.5 inch medium towed gun, plus the FH-70 towed 155mm howitzer too. Let alone the old 105mm Abbot SPG, M110 8 inch self propelled howitzer, plus both M107 175mm SPH and M109 155mm SPH too.
Not strictly artillery but the 120mm heavy mortar is a very versatile bit of kit, the unit i was in specialised in "raid artillery" , the mortar breaks down into 3 bits and fits with crew into a puma helicopter, we had 3 of them, we land somewhere, get the 3 mortars put together, fire 3 rounds each, range up to 11km, strip down, back in helicopter and away in 15-20 minutes, we trained on it constantly, get in the puma, get out of the puma.............
The Proposed Bae Swedish adaption of the 155mm mobile gun platform looks good using Brit truck chassis, makes for high mobility, range and shoot & scoot. Hope it’s a value for money purchase! 🤔👍
As a Swede I'll have to point out Sweden is a *small* nation with over-sized ambitions. It really can't uphold a 100 % independent defense industry, so it is always very open to collaboration with friendly nations. As such, one of the strongest selling points for Swedish weapons systems, is the Swedes' willingness to involve the customer nation in development and production. Buy American, and you'll never be allowed to take part in the process, but buy Swedish and you'll get to have some input in the engineering as well as bring some of the production to your shores. Brazil buying Gripens being a good example. This open participation is good for developing the defense industry in the customer nation, and it is also good for Sweden, since we simply couldn't do it all on our own anyway.
Just to be a little pedantic, It's not an English Flag The British like to put the 'British' flag on all thier little inventions, like the 40mm Borfors, 84mm Carl Gustav, Volvo Bv202, Bv206, Bvs10 (oh wait that last one is British :)
I am a little surprised by the footage of the Archer shooting. I expected the shells to be fired in different trajectories so that they would hit the target at the same time, not one after the other. This is what I expected after what I've heard from friends with actual artillery experience - I have very little military experience myself.
If you do that, you lose quite a lot of your maximum range (only one shell can use the optimal trajectory if you go for simultaneous impact). So the footage was probably of a long range fire, like when you are attacking enemy artillery positions.
I'm just guessing but I would assume that maintenence would be a big factor in selecting the platform. If the engine needs a new spark plug of fan belt, it would be better if all the British lorries have the same spark plugs and fan belts, regardless of if the back of the lorry has a big gun or the back of lorry has million bottles of water.
The efforts the British Army is putting into fires capability is pretty serious. 70 plus M270B2, the AS90 replacement (whatever it may be, probs K9 though) and the wheeled howitzer (toss up between HX2/3 Archer and Boxer RCH155 it seems). As for favourite artillery system, I'm a man who likes the classics. Good old 25pdr. Not the fastest or the longest ranged, but it just looks right. Plus a family member served in the RA on one I believe
About the Volvo truck and maintainance is probably a matter of perspective. It is a common truck in Swedish mining industry, and the extra amour does not affect the service from a civilian gravel truck that much. But if your mecanics are used to only service your military fleet then it is something new they have to learn. Back when the Archer was developed we still relied heavily on conscripts in the swedish army, so it made sense to have people later doing a carieer in the mining industry learn to serve the Archer in their conscript months.
G'day young fella. My father was a Gunner with the Royal Artillery in North Africa, Italy and Yugoslavia - as it was in those awful days of conflict. His last fifteen years or so was spent as a Gunnery Instructor at the School of Artillery, Larkhill. He completed various other detachments and postings and his gun of choice was always the 25 pounder. He enlisted on it and eventually retired on it. There was another piece of work that always impressed me, the big brother, usually towed by the AEC Matador; the 5 inch gun if I remember rightly. I'm heading for eighty myself now so the old grey matter is not as good as it was. A refreher on these two historic artillery pieces would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time and consideration.
I would love to see a video about the new German RCH 155 by KMW. A wheeled 155mm artillery piece with the gun of the PzH2000 that also has an auto-loader capable of firing more than 8 rounds per minut and all that WHILE ON THE MOVE!!!! It's like every artillery crew's wet dream. It will also join the ranks of the German army somewhat soon.
The Archer is a good weapon but also very expensive. more expensive than many Trek vehicle SPGs. and weighs 34 tons, which is very heavy for a truck, reducing mobility in mud.
You're not wrong, but driving it through mud would be using it wrong. It's not a close range system, it's meant to stay far away from the front lines, take out enemy equipment with long range and high precision, then swiftly move to the next firing position before the enemy can pinpoint its location. It's going to be driving on roads. Maybe very bad roads, but roads nonetheless. That's why it has wheels and not tracks. (A potential customer could of course mount the Archer system on a chassis with tracks instead if desired.)
I do not know the price difference of similar systems but what I know is that the Archer system is one of a kind and a better option then other systems now. No it's not that it's more accurate or bigger firepower but the fact that it's limited crew, it can be run by one crew member. The crew do not have to leave the NBC protected cab they can simply shoot and scoot in no time. So the fact that a 3 member crew that do not have to leave the cab but can conduct their task from a protected cab and be gone basically before the first shell hit, well that speaks volumes. Regarding the tracks, it's not optimal for Swedish conditions and also a balance between speed and mobility, typical Swedes they figure out something that is good for all situation not the best for one.
Sverige har i dag 48 Archer-pjäser, varav 24 används av den svenska Försvarsmakten. De övriga 24 står i förråd och det är 22 av dem som nu ges till Ukraina eller säljs till Storbritannien. De två som blir kvar ska Försvarsmakten använda för att utveckla Archersystemet.
I love the PZH 2000. Tracked and an auto-loader. One of, if not the, fastest firing and most mobile 155 platforms in service today. Obviously up for debate. But auto-loading 155 allowing for MRSI on a tracked platform has to make it one of the top platforms out there.
If you love the PZH 2000 you should take a look at the newest baby from KMW The RCH 155. But strap your self in before looking at a video from it. You may drop from your chair.
Ordnance QF 18-pounder The QF 18-pounder was the standard British field gun of World War 1. With a range of 6,500 yards, it fired 3.3-inch (84 mm) shells weighing 18 pounds (8.2 kg). The 18-pounder formed the backbone of the Royal Artillery, with over 3,000 guns in service by the end of the war. Collectively, 18-pounders fired approximately 100 million shells on the Western Front.
Swedish-produced military gear is of the highest quality (craftmanship) you could get. For some reason the Brits seem to dismiss this however, which is quite sad. "Eww, Volvo truck that can get through any terrain and climate? No, we must use a German one that will probably get stuck in our muddy, rain-soaked, fields in our country where it never stops raining". I ofc jest, but my point is that just because Archer might get produced locally in the UK will not make it magically better in any way, shape, or form than the original concept o the platform. Sweden has a lot of snow and marshland, so a truck made for that kind of climate will probably work anywhere in Europe. Gotta give you props tho, seen a lot of Brits comment on Archer-videos claiming it is a British product because it comes from BAE, which just isn't correct. Good of you to set the facts straight.
@@shanjida8353 You can keep telling yourself that... The fact that Bae bought Bofors doesn't make it British!!! Not invented, constructed or built in Britain!
Ok everyone! Let me have it! What is your favorite artillery system out there in history! (or even sci fi!) I would love to hear it!
Honest John.
Yes, I am that old.
paladin paladin where do you roooam
You must be proud of the Swedish inventions when you smack these English flags on it
M110 203mm. What a beast, and I shudder to think of the logistics that went along with it too.
For being a small country that has stayed out of war for over a century we are still quite good at making things that go boom in Sweden!
Archer, Excalibur, AT4, the CG recoilless rifle, NLAW (developed by SAAB in Sweden), Bofors 40mm, Gripen, CV90... 😊
The entire NLAW concept was developed by RARDE and was on the shelf, waiting for production, by 1990. The RARDE work even included critical component design, specifically the tracking system rate sensors that were designed and manufactured by the Precision Products Group of BAE and eventually used within NLAW, together with secret patents for the guidance system, fusing systems, warhead design and rocket motor.
It was the collapse of the Soviet Union that resulted in the project being shelved. When LAW 80 came to end of life MOD, quite sensibly, looked for a solution in production that could be modified, but I would definitely take issue with the claim that NLAW was developed in Sweden. MOD always had respect for Swedish man-portable anti-armour weapons, so it was no surprise that an existing SAAB design came closest to the NLAW requirements.
@@glynnwright1699 the NLAW we see used in for example Ukraine was a joint venture between the Swedish and British MOD using over 20 years research, so they most likely used parts of the RARDE research. But the final development and design was still made by SAAB Bofors Dynamics and it's now primarily produced in Ireland by Thales.
@@nissetorvang1709 The NLAW guidance system came from operational research conducted by Hunting Engineering when seeking a better solution than the LAW 80 spotting rifle, which they manufactured as part of the LAW 80 anti-armour weapon. The components of the guidance system were evolved from the USA Copperhead programme and were in production at BAE by 1984. The association between the Copperhead and NLAW requirements were identified in 1982.
The LAW 80 replacement programme, which was led by RARDE and actually called NLAW, had a full operational specification, almost identical to the final production weapon by 1983 and every element of that design had been functionally field tested at RARDE by 1990. All that work was done independently by RARDE with assistance from Hunting Engineering.
The whole design was secured by secret patents. It is no surprise that SAAB's solution, a decade later, had converged on a similar design, albeit without the guidance system.
It is bad that the Swedish government factually has committed ethnic cleansing killing 3 million ethnic Swedes since 1980 and replacing them with Africans and Arabs. 1948 99.2% of ethnic Swedes. 1975 85% ethnic Swedes. Today about 50%. (and I never criticize the immigrants. It is not their fault. It is the media's fault and corrupt politicians who have made the population retarded) Sweden is unique in how its IQ is going down. From 104 average 20 years ago to about 99 today. All the rocket scientists that walk into the country (according to media. All immigrants are highly educated rocket scientists even if 50% of them can't read or write according to SFI School Swedish for immigrants):
@@glynnwright1699Lol so many words so much faults
I have some experience with Volvo's A30, A35 and A40 articulated dump trucks from about 12 years ago. Mainly C and D variants but the new ones are very similar to the D version. I can tell you that atleast the dump truck versions are very capable off road. They're meant for construction sites and mines etc. The Archer version is slightly longer but I think the only issues with that would be avoiding obstacles (trees etc.) and not the actual off road capability per se.
With an articulated truck you can wiggle your way through quite a lot of mud and stuff if you get stuck whereas with an 8x8 truck you can't. Anyone who has driven an articulated dump truck knows what I mean.
If mines run those Volvo (and other) dump trucks 24/7, I don't think claming they're difficult to maintain really holds true. Yes you need to lubricate a bunch of joints and bearings but usually there's an automatic greaser which does most of the job for you.
The truck is going to be faster on the road, of course, but I'd say that the articulated dump truck is probably better off road.
That's just my opinion.
Yea.. I think the road speed. And also hight, is the main issue. Possible logistics tail.
You really don't need to run a artilery gun in the terain. Is not like you have to be in a very specific place to shoot.
Mind that the definition of "mud" in sweden is nothing compared to mud in Ukraine.
@@str8forthakill i get it, you been to neither sweden nor ukraine?
it literally is, most of swedens flat terrain has underground rivers of mud uppsala central station has shifted by 10+ cms since 2012 and that is concrete reinforced packed ground i have almost drowned in a field during the thaw and the entire country is littered with bogs, a critical stipulation in swedish procurement of any vehicle is ground preassure, ukrainian mud isnt special its special for western europe because of the high density of built up infrastructure etc but mud is mud and the muddy season becomes more severe with the constant freezing and thawing not because there is a specific type of ground in this area@@str8forthakill
@@str8forthakill Well, The Ukrainians as far as i know has not complained now when they got this system in action. They have said this system is very good,accurate, fast, and mobile, they have also said that the archer has no complications, it works very good and doesent have problems. Im Swedish atleast, so i ask u t his question have u ever even been in Sweden and seen our terrain and weather condictions? 4+ months of the year we got bad weather with rain or snow and tempratures down to -1 - -30 celcius, or like 1-8+ celcius. 3+ months of the year we got nice sunny weather most of the time, the rest of the year "spring" its okay climate , but wich can change from minus to + or the other way just on a couple of days. Why would "Ukranian mud" be diffrent from ours lol? its only when u start digging like 50-100 cm down in the ground u will se diffrences, because we got alot of stone in the ground, Ukraine seems to have very flat grounds, the terrain down there looks like the terrain we got in "Skåne" wich is mostly farm land. And Archer works fine for us
Swedish artillery has been leading the development for many decades. The "Bandkanon 1" from 1965 could fire 14 shells in 45 seconds! Then we have the FH 77 and now the Archer ❤
i was a gunner on fh77a it made a lot of noise with lng 4 of 6 at ARTSS we shot 20 rounds a day 4 days a week for 4 months. Riktare på pjäsen. blev bortdömd med direktsiktet på "löpande stridsvagn". Granaten studsade for igenom måltavlan och briserade längre bort. Jag kunde se hålet i tavlan igenom direktsiktet men det var det inget befäl som brydde sig om. Surt. Atelleripjäser är inte gjotda för prickskytte, men det går.
"Swedish artillery has been leading the development for many decades" 🤣🤣🤣
Sure man, they won some 100 wars in last decades, and the Swedish arty is famous over the world for its effectiveness in real wars ! You must live in a parallel Universe, dude... Sweden have less than ZERO experience in battle-proven artillery... And LESS than zero in modern wars !
@@mirandela777what are you on about?
@@mirandela777 LOL, u dont know shit about weapon systems. There is a fking reason why the Swedish military took this weapon system in over others. We got the money to buy foreign stuff if we want, but this system suits our own needs better. So i guess u belive that the Swedish military know jack shit about arms eh? We been training with Nato and our allies for decades at this point. Russia has been in alot of wars that is "modern" and how well are the performing now? poorly, You dont have to be in a fking war in order to produce good hardware. Our CV90 for instance is ranked as one of the best IFV´s in the world, and we produced that whitout any wars. Our Gripen 39 E-D is considered to be one of the best fighter air planes that is not a stealth fighter jet. Our Carl gustaf is considered to be one of the best in the field. Our submarines is considered to be one of the most stealthy and deadly in the world. I can go on more than this. Sweden has allways been producing good hardware. Go play some more video games, i can tell that u clearly has no military training, or understanding of military weapons, or u are just some pissed off russian or something, cause this fking weapon is now killing russians, and so is the CV90, Ukraine want more CV90 from us , cause the vechicle is fking amazing. Have u ever even heard of these good swedish weapons? Excalibur,. . NLAW u name it. We also have one of the best in the world counter meisures for eletronic warfare.
@@MrMk82 Who the fk nows, she/he is probably some pissed of Russian/allied country to Russia. that is butthurt now when this weapon system if killing there soldiers lol
Sweden is going for RMMV for the 48 on order, not because truck mounted is better but because the A30E isn't made anymore, more work would have to be done to adapt it to the new A30G, which would likely delay delivery further and increase prices. And Volvo might soon develop the next version. It's the downside (and also upside) of the civilian market, it moves a lot faster than the militay market. A30E production only ran for 3 years until it was replaced with a new model. RMMV HX has been produced for close to 16 years.
I've run a A25C and its brilliant in off-road, don't expect the A30E to be any different.
There is not a huge different between the A30E compared to A30G. The engine on the G is larger and have particle filter and scr. Other then that its same platform.
Malin reason is to harmonise with export customers demands.
US is interested in this platform as well.
Volvo articulated haulers has been in use for a long time in the Swedish defence, for example with combat engineres. And they worked great in that role.
This kind of vehicle is also often used for lumbering and, and I doubt that a vehicle with bad offroad capabilities would be used in that role.
@@petter5721 It seems that the proposed US variant will use a 10x10 Oshkosh, at least there is pictures of it.
@@kjell-oh7ez should be an 8x8. 10x10 would be excessive.
To be fair, nothing beats the raw emotions of a trebuchet.
I've been meters from both trebuchets loaded with rocks and 155 artillery when firing, and you are right, a trebuchet beats everything up close
It's swedish not british lol
He did mention early on in the video that it was a Government to Government contract with Sweden, the system was designed and built by Bofors, mind you Bofors is now owned by BAE Systems.
He literally says the Swedish made, BAE Systems Archer. 100% correct, Swedish designed, British owned 😏
Like Mini is German?
@@Biljoona That's a debatable one, BMW claim their designer, Frank Stephenson a Moroccan born American, designed it but Rover say they had already designed it when BMW took them over, it is however built in the U.K., well one version is at least, lol.
way not to watch the video, genius.
When I heard that Archer had a top speed of 70 km/h, I thought, Hmmm... I wonder. The reason for my skepticism comes from having worked at Volvo's transmission development department in Eskilstuna, Sweden. It was a while ago, but I vividly remember a project there aiming to develop an articulated dump truck for high speeds. Although I wasn't personally involved in the project, the division wasn't very large, and communication between projects and departments was good. The high-speed articulated dump truck project garnered significant interest, so it was well-known what they were doing and how the work was progressing. The idea of selling a dump truck with the articulated truck's off-road capability but the normal truck's speed was enticing.
To verify the concept, they took an A25, a predecessor to the A30 with, as I recall, essentially the same type of axles and suspension, i.e., a front axle with suspension. They then changed the gearing in the drivetrain to achieve a top speed comparable to regular trucks. The next step was to rent an airport with plenty of space to drive fast without hitting anything in case of an accident.
I still remember everyone's anticipation and excitement when the team with the modified A25 set off. When they returned a few days later, it was clear from a distance that the tests hadn't gone well. Everyone's expressions were downcast. It turned out you could not drive much faster than the articulated truck normally did, around 40 km/h. If you drove faster than that, it was fine as long as you went straight, but if you needed to turn, there were problems-so many problems that it wasn't deemed safe for traffic. This is why you don't see many articulated vehicles on the road; you mostly find them in agriculture or at construction sites.
So, when BAE said the next Archer would be built on an 8x8 truck chassis, I immediately thought, Ahaaa... they've realized they need to move farther and faster than they initially thought.
Is this a problem? It depends. If you're engaging a target, it's undoubtedly an advantage if you can position yourself optimally for your firepower. The optimal position may not be where an 8x8 truck can go. Here, a tracked vehicle is clearly better. But with a tracked vehicle, you might not get there in time.
How much better or worse, then, is an 8x8 truck compared to an articulated truck? Well, I haven't driven an 8x8 truck, but I've driven articulated dump trucks quite a bit, and I know what stops them. It's the load-bearing capacity, i.e., how much tire surface area you have to support your weight, plus to some extent, tire grip and, of course, good differential locks that make the difference. If the ground is firm enough, and there are no really large and steep holes or big rocks in the way, you can move forward. But if the ground is too loose, you will sink, and then you get stuck. The standard trick then to get free is to tip off the load. That usually gets you unstuck. But you can't really do that on an Archer, i.e., dump the cannon.
So, what do I want to convey with this?
That an Archer on an 8x8 truck chassis is probably better. It will certainly move faster than an A30-based Archer. When you then need to find your optimal firing position, the 8x8 variant may be limited by its poorer agility (turning radius and wheel articulation). Still, with large wheels (good load-bearing capacity) and proper differential locks, you should be able to find almost as good firing positions as with an A30-based Archer. But, it doesn’t look as cool.
Tell me you have autism without Telling me you have autism
Never served in the artillery. I think the 25-pounder is a classic
@terrycallaghan8269 I served using the 25 pounder, I can still feel the kick off her. Got to use it just before our regiment were to be up gunned with the 105mm. We got a round in the barrel once at an angle, wouldn't go fully in nor come out, so the tiffy beat it with a hammer to fit, I nearly got a heart attack when he started hammering first, lol. After hearing our screams of WTF are you doing, he sent us behind the ditch "just in case'. Health and safety was well behind get it over with so we can get to the bar back then.
The articulated Volvo chassis appears to be similar, if not the same as, the ones used for their rock trucks. These trucks handle very rugged terrain quite well and the articulation also gives a tighter turning radius. Another advantage COULD be that if the piece encounters very extreme condition and it rolls over on its side, only the rear will roll, better protecting the driver. Recovery of the roll over is easier in these cases as well as the motor, fluids and such are not as disturbed and in many cases can just drive away once uprighted. See this happened multiple times with the rock truck version.
Its the same, just for military use =)
its taken Striaght from the A30 E. i belive some minor changes has been made to it tho
@@rasmusf5615 Most likely some explosion resistance and other stuff, but its a regular chassie, no need to improve perfection
Simply amazing, seeing that machine in action. So much for counter battery return; by the time those rounds land, it's already gone from firing position. Good choice, Brits!
Except if is a drone near, who can spot you after the first round... and this is a very vulnerable system, the protection level is almost non-existent.
@@mirandela777 The cabin is Highly armoured. the crew never needs to leave it during a mission. so no gap where doors or hatches are opened. if the gun sytem is destroyed, the cabin can drive of on its own. and the turret on the roof is automated to shoot at both air and ground threats within its proximity. This includes smaller short range drones. Then again the archer fires from up to 60km away depending on which rounds used. that's further than most drones operate, and even if they fire at the location within 30 sec, the enemy projectiles aerial time wont allow it to land before the archer has moved out.
@@lovehagglund3234 "The cabin is Highly armoured. " 🤣🤣🤣 Are you high on something, dude ?? That is THIN, VERY LIGHT protection !
Or you try to convince me is MORE armored than a tank turret ?!
And about drone range : the new Lancet reach 75km range, and carry a 5 kg+ shaped charge - able to pen 150mm armor in no time - now try to say that cabin has 200mm armor on top !
@@mirandela777 Crew separated from gun and ammunition
Crew never has to leave the cabin during combat
FULL protection against NBC threats, artillery fragmentation, mine attacks and blast overpressure
Optional Advanced Multispectral Camouflage System.
Straight from BAE 'systems' own webpage. Go suck on a hamster kid.
@@mirandela777 *Sit down and keep quiet if you know nothing about that which you attemt to preach.*
Gotta be the 25pdr! That creeping barrage in A Bridge Too Far was an amazing scene.
My all-time favourite artillery....the good old 155mm Bandkanon, fastest gun if I remember correctly back in the day, 15 shots in 45 seconds....
I remember working for a for a company dealing with these back in the 90's, these Volvos are MASSIVE, we had to let air out the tires to get them through the doors that we had and our doors were HUGE to begin with!
I've always loved the Archer! Thank you Matt!
I believe the new Archers Sweden ordered will be on MAN trucks as well, the Volvo vehicle that is used for the older batch is not in production anymore. I doubt it has weak off-road capabality though, it was/is used in e.g forrest and mining industry.
Being a retired RCEME, I love working on the 109, and pack howitzer.
The truck is originally MAN, 8 wheel version was 10 tons used by 4CMBG starting in 84 and it raced a Leo and won. Ex Canadian Army Commander Leslie did say once Archer is his number one priority.
The 6x6 version of the archer have no trouble with offroad, especially in the snow where it can "swim" with the articulation. It is not nice to drive for more than 3hours on road but it can be done.
One thing that i can see peaple complain about here in the comments is the magazine size of 21 granades. The archer is part of a system with two vehicles, and the second one is the ammunition carrier truck that (with a well trained crew) can fill up a complete magazine with powder and granades in under 10 minutes. The best tactic to use with a archer is the shoot and scoot and this means that you always can make a pit stop at your local ammo truck
//A swedish conscript Archerdriver
Light Gun. Brilliant piece of kit.
Also always had a soft spot for the mighty 25 pounder as seen so brilliantly in A Bridge Too Far.
Ex-Royal Artillery.
Happy Christmas Mat.
Nice Mat! I'm glad you are doing well keep at it don't give up and always strive to better than yesterday!
M7 priest/sexton, specifically its advantage logistically and mobility wise for allied armored units.
Thank you for a great video Matt! Hope these archers will be as useful as the longbows at Agincourt.
I was in the US Army ADA. However, my favorite artillery piece has always been WW2 105 howitzer.
This is just me speculating but I think the swedish version is partly based on Volvo's own articulated damp truck series of construction vehicles. You can see the trickle down DNA like the Volvo A60H. And they are off road monsters.
It's the A30, they just armored it and replaced the dumper bed with the gun. Why build something from scratch when one of your companies already mass produces something that's perfect for the task.
I;m a veteran gunner. With K Battery, 5th Heavy Regiment RA. We had 175mm M107 SP guns. Not my favourite by far, but they were impressive.
Shiny K
@@barryromford3792 Yes, Shiny K (Hondeghem) Battery
I have shot Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50 during my military service in the Swedish Artillery so that howitzer is close to my heart . Field howitzer F, F is letter for France
The only Archer i know was a valentine hull with a 17pdr mounted facing backwards.
Sarge, another great video. I've been a big fan of the Archer as soon as I saw it. I like the protection offered to the (very small) gun crew. I see that as being an advantage to the RCA if it were to be considered as a replacement for the M777, C3, and LG 1.
Krauss-Maffei Wegman (KMW) RCH 155, it's the first howitzer that can fire while moving. And such things should always be produced domestically, things like licensed production are almost always possible. Same is with ammunition production.
Love the Archer. I find it and the Yugoimport B52 Nora very interesting.
Deadly, accurate, nifty, compact, and self-contained. This is one of my favorite modern artillery pieces aside from the German PHZ 2000 and the French Ceasar Mark II.
How to lob as much high explosive in a hurry on very short notice by as little as two men. One of the sneakiest most unpredictable artillery
I did serve with 2 of the Bofors platforms, the Haubits 77 (same base barrel and the loader is used in the Archer) and the old but sturdy 105mm Carl Gustav. Great pieces at the end of 80s. If I watch the operation of many of the modern towed ones today they are not even close the old 77
Swedish power 🇸🇪💪🏻
An Ukrainian Artillery Officer operating the Archer referred to it as the Mercedes Benz of Self propelled Artillery and it has a 100% hit on target ratio with 1-2 rounds.
War tested speaks for itself,I hope it will prove itself useful to our British friends aswell🇬🇧🇸🇪
”Modern British Artillery”?? The Archer Artillery System, or Archer - FH77BW L52, or Artillerisystem 08, is a Swedish self-propelled howitzer system
I did my military service on the haubits 77b here in sweden 2004.
Also a mighty gun
The Archer is definitely a favorite, another would be the Caesar, its always interested me after Wargame-Red Dragon and subsequent research.
I want to know which is better. And why can’t these be mounted on Boxer.
@@TheBoobancomes a point when "better" stops being applicable and will come down to purely extraneous factors
What's better? Rafale or eurofighter? Abrams or challenger 2? Archer or caesar?
Each of these systems have differences but in terms of how "good" they are it's up to factors that are independant from the system itself. Crew, logistics, readyness, intel, morale, dumb luck etc...
If you want an objective answer, the caesar is the only one that has been extensively battle tested.
As for the boxer part it must be a joke right? You can't mount a 155 mm gun with its turret, no amount of ductape will produce a capable 155 mm howitzer boxer.
@@pougetguillaume4632 you can’t say a truck can haul 155mm artillery but boxer can’t. It could be articulated or towed, same as this truck. And yes, Caesar has been battle tested, and it’s been said Caesar doesn’t work well in the cold. That’s why I want to know. Plenty of things the numbers don’t show when these machines are actually used.
@@TheBooban Look for the KNDS RCH 155
@@A9B12 lol, there we go. Whaaaat…it shoots 155mm while _moving_
The 7.5cm LE.iG. The German mountain soldiers had like a broken down version of it with no shield. It was a cool little howitzer
Hello Mat.... with respect to the volvo chassis I can add some infor, maybe interesting. If you look to the front part of articulated dump truck (ATD), you see an agricultural tractor yet without the front wheels. Well, that is... because it is. In its basic design it is adapted from a tractor with trailer. The rear wheels of a tractor have a very big diameter. If a wheel sinks into soft ground, the support surface increases. In case of a bigger wheel, the support surface becomes much bigger as well. Believe it or not, but the ground pressure is acually less than e.g. a leopard 2 (unloaded). When fully loaded, it may be 30-40% higher (depending on the tyres). On its turn that is half of that of a regular car. Low ground pressure is a key requirement in agriculture and forestry. Yet, the military does not seem to bother very much... except... in Sweden. Hagglunds are all designed with low ground pressure in mind, especially the BVs. The best wheeled alternative is.... an ATD. Besides low ground pressure, these machines also have a low turning circle, much less than a rigid chassis and exceptional wading depth (up to 2 meter). Another advantage is that they are extreme robust. The volvo chassis (almost) meets the requirements regarding mine protection. Spare parts are low costs and available all over the world. Moreover, operating costs are (relatively) low as well. Yet, from a military perspective it also has several disadvantages. One is the highly exposed position of the driver cabin. In terms of terrain capabilities, the approach angle in the front is much less, while having more difficulting with traversing 1 meter wide trench. Down the line though, "success" is determined by "real-life" limmitations. If you look at Ukraine, mud is a notoriously limmitation. This is totally different from a stable sandy training ground. I am a forestry engineer. Within the forestry sector all machines have an articulated chassis. The choice between a articulated or rigid chassis a no-brainer, unless the vehicles can drive over smooth tracks. Then again, forestry operations do not suffer from bullets flying around.
Also with the choice of the chassis it might be prudent to look whether the UK isn't using the MAN chassis, or intending to use it, for other transports and whether they don't want to use this to stream-line the logistics.
Definitely still need tracked 155mm.
I wonder if Archer could be adapted to a current tracked system - maybe mounted back to front, like the first bearer of the name from WW2.
You asked what is our favorite piece of artillery (now or in the past) and for me one of my favorites is the American Civil war heavy mortar and especially the ones mounted on gunboats or on those little railroad flat cars.
absolutely adore the good ol' AS (nasty) 90. got to have a look around the beast over in salisbury plain thanks to my dad who was EOD at the time.
Is the JV called 'Project Mother' 😂 Good to see we're getting Archer. Seems the perfect fit for the agile, aggressive disruption tactics that the UKAF have adopted. Favourite artillery piece: QF 25-pdr - epic service history, versatile, highly mobile, packed a punch, and the iconic Morris C8 Quad ❤
My favorite Artillery Piece is the K9 Vajra-T of the Indian Army. It has the exceptional capability of the K9 Thunder, with a direct firing sight. So, it’s a full package. 🔥
Bofors makes awesome guns 👍🏻
Yup, and sold them to both the British and the Germans during WW2.
WW3 is different though. This time the Russians aren't getting any! lol
tja petter, jag måste fråga varför är du på varje video som handlar om Sverige?
Varför är du? @@arvalb0
Did my military duty on Haubits 77A abd of course it have a special place in my heart but i have to sa, Archer is both wonderful and effectiv so i must say Archer although all great memories of the old H77.
The articulated one is the same used for hauling timber out of the forest. It is obviously superior to truck chassis if there is a lot of nature requiring off road capability or very bad roads. However since it is less abumdant there are fewer technicians (outside of major wood production countries, i.e Sweden and Finland in Europe) and thus a truck chassis may be better in countries with a lot of countryside roads everywhere and little logging.
Articulated haulers are ubiquitous in off road heavy civil work too. If the platform didn’t work and were maintenance queens they wouldn’t be profitable and wouldn’t be widely used. Volvo sold thousands of articulated chassis before BAE wanted to be turn it into a technical. It’s like saying a Toyota pickup truck is a terrible platform for a heavy machine gun.
Experience, M29A1, 81mm mortar. MOS, 0341. Thats what I did. Interest, battle field radar. Tracking incoming rounds and back track to point of origin. It was rarely talked about in the Marines but, the Army had more info and use regarding it.
A poop catapult. You know someone in history has catapulted poop at someone. It must have happened.
polish 155mm KRAB is my favorite artillery system
Personally, my favourite is the anti-siege artillery system using Live Cow rounds in Monty Python & the Holy Grail..
- Fetchez la vache!
- Quoi?
- Fetchez la vache!"
Faites chier la vache ;)
Live cow rounds + unladen swallow drones = undefeatable
I'm a product of boys service in the mid 1960's, trained on 25 Pdr's and then posted to the depot regiment at Larkhill and did 105mm Packs, 105mm Abbot SP along with 5.5" Howitzer (fired occasionally for sound ranging!) also manned the M107. We had seven 25 Pdr's in the battery as well as 6 Abbots; that all sounds quite boastful but is not intended to be, my favourite equipment? It has to be my first love, the 25 Pdr!
Favorite artillery piece is the Mark 7 16in/50cal naval rifle
My favorite artillery piece is the 600mm morter used by the germans during world War 2
Swedish Power!! :D Merry X-mas Matt! :)
This is a Swedish Artillery system. Designed by Bofors on behest of the Swedish government for their military. BAE might own Bofors now. But this is Swedish from ground up.
Sweden was literally the only nation fielding these systems. Until maybe very recently British did.
British? I suspect the engineers that has designed and built the Archer all lives in Karlskoga Sweden working for BOFORS.
True but the company BAE is British.
@@xehpukits still made by Bofors. Its a Swedish weapon.
After Brexit this unfortunate nation only home made Pride is an annular occurring festival in London.
@@Thedrunkenswede1337bofors as a brand is not around anymore.
@@shanjida8353 keep telling yourself that. 🤦
I'd say, the Swedish Archer with the BONUS round.
I'm quite fond of a trebuchet. 😂
Never had any experience with the Archer. However, I worked for a construction company that would rent Volvo articulating dump trucks for road projects. From what I seen of those trucks, the articulating connection allows a lot of twisting movement. The twisting range was actually surprising. The construction company also used Caterpillar articulating dump trucks too, which were similar. I never got to work on one, because those were not owned by the company, just rental or lease with maintenance/ repair done by the dealerships.
IMO, the M142 HIMARS is the best artillery. I would have said that before the war in Ukraine, so it is not based on that. It can be loaded into a C130 and flown to forward positions or behind enemy lines. It has very good accuracy. It is light and fast when on the road. The USMC even chained some to the deck of an LPD and fired from a moving ship to accurately hit land targets. So, as far as mobility, it has everything needed. The only down side: it requires rockets and large pods of rockets, which require bulk logistics.
Matt for me it's gotta be the German self propelled artillary Panzerhaubitze 2000. Think I spelled that right, I just love that piece of equipment. Kinda want the Canadian armed forces to buy a few of those we already use the leopards 2 tanks. I also think the South Koran K9A1 its a really solid piece of artillery as well. Anyways Matt great video as usual and thank you for your service and congrats on the new promotion.
My 3.5in medieval muzzleloader named julieanna black Powder 250g/8oz load ...yes you can own a big gun in the UK..she has been to Denmark Sweden France Wales and places in between.last outing was Leeds castle before lockdown but we hope to go on the road next season.and a 3in breach loader that has also travelled well called rose
Have to disagree about the "Next Generation" part. It literally is the last generation. The next one and a upgrade in every regard (x), is the "RCH 155" from KMW and it would make sense for the Royal Army to adopt it, since it is operating the BOXER anyways.
(x)
> Can shoot on the move, thus next level "Shoot and Scoot" ability.
> Longer barrel, longer range, more accuracy.
> No need to extend or retract the barrel before or after shooting.
> Does not need to extend struts for stability.
> Can load more ammo (30 rounds instead of 20).
> Smaller dimensions and no hinge between truck and trailer, making maneuvering in forests easier and faster.
> 360 degree field of fire (even when firing on the move).
> Parts commonality with BOXER. (Which probably also results in a lower price, at least for a customer who already operates the BOXER.)
> Higher rate of fire and responsiveness because the magazine and reloading mechanism aren't attached to the barrel and you don't have to shift around all that weight just to move the barrel.
> BOXER modularity will make future upgrades easier and cheaper, because you can just slap a new weapon module on to the vehicle module.
> New tracked BOXER drive module would enable a mixed fleet where you have some wheeled and some tracked SPGs while all using the same weapon module.
Swedish Archer says hello 💪🏼 🏹 🇸🇪 😎
Shoot 35 km (22 miles) with Bofors BONUS shell.
And with Excalibur shell from an Archer it go 50 km (31 miles)
Newest test: 70 km (43 miles). New record.
The Archer system can be put on anything - To further show that point, BAE is testing the RMMV HX as a carrier for Archer systems.
I have a hard time beliving the Volvo chassie would have it hard of road. Rather the opposite. There 10 pf thousands of those in use and they all work exelently. The archer is also lightly loaded compare to the civilian version.
I would rather think its on road condition that is the main drawback of the Volvo truck. That is... its a bit slower.
Yea. 90km/h road speed. That is a lot faster than 65 of the volvo
Agree. The articulated hauler is based on tried and tested technology since decades back. This type of veichle is used in mining and logging, where they operate in remote locations and often run close to 24 hours a day weeks on end. Articulated front loaders are one of the most commonly seen machines in all kinds of roles. They are in the same family of veichle too. I can't imagine that these would be in use on every other construction site, industrial lot and farm, if they were so difficult to maintain.
@@JH-lo9ut yea of cause
The main issue with the Volvo dump truck is that the stearing is 100% hydrulic.
I thought it was a shame that the Archer ultimately didn't get selected as the British Army's full replacement of the AS90. That was until I saw the capabilities of the RCH 155 that did win. That platform is yet another incredible step up: Fast, modular and well protected wheeled chassis; full CBRN protection; 2 man crew with an autoloading turret: 360 degree traverse; Direct fire capability; Instant shoot-and-scoot (no set-up required AT ALL) and the feature I never thought I'd see on any SPG - the ability to accurately fire on the move!
Isn't A30 supposed to drive off-road? Damn sure it is used in the Forest and Mines in Kiruna, the shit talk sounds like bullshit. The Only downside is that its harder to get replacement parts for service etc, but that is going to change quick if more Armies start to use it.
Volvo dump trucks are used all over the place. So replacement parts are plentiful.
@@Merecir I know, but thats the only "downside" that I can actually find.. xD
Love the Archer! The Lego is of course fake Lego, on principle, Lego does not replicate military equipment
I absolutely love it.
I served on the 155mm FH 70 and the 105mm Light Gun. Light Gun all the way! An excellent piece of Kit.
My disabled partner, is a former British Gunner, actually Air Defence Gunner.
His list of best British Artillery Systems, are as follows.
Rapier both towed and tracked, ManPad Blowpipe and Javelin, plus the old Thunderbird SAM's and especially the old 40/70mm Bofors AAA Guns.
As for field artillery, the old towed 25-pounder and 5.5 inch medium towed gun, plus the FH-70 towed 155mm howitzer too.
Let alone the old 105mm Abbot SPG, M110 8 inch self propelled howitzer, plus both M107 175mm SPH and M109 155mm SPH too.
You are joking FH 70 the worst gun in the world ever
Not strictly artillery but the 120mm heavy mortar is a very versatile bit of kit, the unit i was in specialised in "raid artillery" , the mortar breaks down into 3 bits and fits with crew into a puma helicopter, we had 3 of them, we land somewhere, get the 3 mortars put together, fire 3 rounds each, range up to 11km, strip down, back in helicopter and away in 15-20 minutes, we trained on it constantly, get in the puma, get out of the puma.............
The Proposed Bae Swedish adaption of the 155mm mobile gun platform looks good using Brit truck chassis, makes for high mobility, range and shoot & scoot. Hope it’s a value for money purchase! 🤔👍
The Trebuchet... and the Roman Scorpion
Swedish. Just underlining.
Oh nice with a Swedish artillery with English flags on it you must be proud of our inventions! 😂
As a Swede I'll have to point out Sweden is a *small* nation with over-sized ambitions. It really can't uphold a 100 % independent defense industry, so it is always very open to collaboration with friendly nations. As such, one of the strongest selling points for Swedish weapons systems, is the Swedes' willingness to involve the customer nation in development and production. Buy American, and you'll never be allowed to take part in the process, but buy Swedish and you'll get to have some input in the engineering as well as bring some of the production to your shores. Brazil buying Gripens being a good example. This open participation is good for developing the defense industry in the customer nation, and it is also good for Sweden, since we simply couldn't do it all on our own anyway.
Just to be a little pedantic, It's not an English Flag
The British like to put the 'British' flag on all thier little inventions, like the 40mm Borfors, 84mm Carl Gustav, Volvo Bv202, Bv206, Bvs10 (oh wait that last one is British :)
@@wyverncoch4430 potato potatoes
You right, we should have put a Norwegian flag on it [Their Scandinavian, so it would have been the same to everyone outside Sweden]@@Fenrir.Gleipnir
Not only am I an artillery DC, but i was a civvie technical writer for the Volvo Archer system. I love your videos!
it is Swedish not British
The 203mm B-4 AKA “Stalins Sledgehammer”, it’s essentially a massive artillery gun on a caterpillar tractor.
I am a little surprised by the footage of the Archer shooting. I expected the shells to be fired in different trajectories so that they would hit the target at the same time, not one after the other. This is what I expected after what I've heard from friends with actual artillery experience - I have very little military experience myself.
Most modern systems can do that. We did it when I was in the Gunners in the early 2000s. 3 rounds in the air at the same time.
If you do that, you lose quite a lot of your maximum range (only one shell can use the optimal trajectory if you go for simultaneous impact). So the footage was probably of a long range fire, like when you are attacking enemy artillery positions.
Archer can do 6 rounds with simultanious impact from what I have read. 22 rounds fired in 3 min.
Merry Christmas brother. Thank you for all your content, all the best in the new year.
I'm just guessing but I would assume that maintenence would be a big factor in selecting the platform.
If the engine needs a new spark plug of fan belt, it would be better if all the British lorries have the same spark plugs and fan belts, regardless of if the back of the lorry has a big gun or the back of lorry has million bottles of water.
The efforts the British Army is putting into fires capability is pretty serious. 70 plus M270B2, the AS90 replacement (whatever it may be, probs K9 though) and the wheeled howitzer (toss up between HX2/3 Archer and Boxer RCH155 it seems).
As for favourite artillery system, I'm a man who likes the classics. Good old 25pdr. Not the fastest or the longest ranged, but it just looks right. Plus a family member served in the RA on one I believe
I thought archers were from Wales 😊
The German 88 antiair and eventually tank killer !what a surprise!
About the Volvo truck and maintainance is probably a matter of perspective. It is a common truck in Swedish mining industry, and the extra amour does not affect the service from a civilian gravel truck that much. But if your mecanics are used to only service your military fleet then it is something new they have to learn.
Back when the Archer was developed we still relied heavily on conscripts in the swedish army, so it made sense to have people later doing a carieer in the mining industry learn to serve the Archer in their conscript months.
My favorite artillery piece is the '88' flak gun, a jack of all trades, flak gun, anti tank, and anti aircraft gun.
"FLAK" is just the German acronym for anti aircraft gun, so you listed the same thing twice there.
In what way is FLAK different from anti aircraft?
G'day young fella. My father was a Gunner with the Royal Artillery in North Africa, Italy and Yugoslavia - as it was in those awful days of conflict. His last fifteen years or so was spent as a Gunnery Instructor at the School of Artillery, Larkhill. He completed various other detachments and postings and his gun of choice was always the 25 pounder. He enlisted on it and eventually retired on it. There was another piece of work that always impressed me, the big brother, usually towed by the AEC Matador; the 5 inch gun if I remember rightly. I'm heading for eighty myself now so the old grey matter is not as good as it was. A refreher on these two historic artillery pieces would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time and consideration.
About as British as Swedish Meatballs
I always worked on things that go woosh bang. Tracked Rapier, then towed Rapier and finally HVM. Arte et marte.
I would love to see a video about the new German RCH 155 by KMW. A wheeled 155mm artillery piece with the gun of the PzH2000 that also has an auto-loader capable of firing more than 8 rounds per minut and all that WHILE ON THE MOVE!!!! It's like every artillery crew's wet dream. It will also join the ranks of the German army somewhat soon.
IMHO, Archer is the best SPH until RCH-155 becomes operational. Next level artillery.
Which just so happens to be the platform that the British Army ultimately went with over the Archer.
The Archer is a good weapon but also very expensive. more expensive than many Trek vehicle SPGs. and weighs 34 tons, which is very heavy for a truck, reducing mobility in mud.
You're not wrong, but driving it through mud would be using it wrong. It's not a close range system, it's meant to stay far away from the front lines, take out enemy equipment with long range and high precision, then swiftly move to the next firing position before the enemy can pinpoint its location. It's going to be driving on roads. Maybe very bad roads, but roads nonetheless. That's why it has wheels and not tracks. (A potential customer could of course mount the Archer system on a chassis with tracks instead if desired.)
I do not know the price difference of similar systems but what I know is that the Archer system is one of a kind and a better option then other systems now. No it's not that it's more accurate or bigger firepower but the fact that it's limited crew, it can be run by one crew member. The crew do not have to leave the NBC protected cab they can simply shoot and scoot in no time.
So the fact that a 3 member crew that do not have to leave the cab but can conduct their task from a protected cab and be gone basically before the first shell hit, well that speaks volumes.
Regarding the tracks, it's not optimal for Swedish conditions and also a balance between speed and mobility, typical Swedes they figure out something that is good for all situation not the best for one.
I would like to see a video about the RCH155
We only bought 7 yes 7. We have given the rest of our artillery to be destroyed in Ukr
Oh no, a combat system we sent to test in modern combat, was destroyed, in combat. Who could've fucking guessed
No one have been destroyed
We bought all 48 that were produced. We ordered 24, but Norway backed out of the project due to delays, so we bought the the other 24 as well.
Sverige har i dag 48 Archer-pjäser, varav 24 används av den svenska Försvarsmakten. De övriga 24 står i förråd och det är 22 av dem som nu ges till Ukraina eller säljs till Storbritannien. De två som blir kvar ska Försvarsmakten använda för att utveckla Archersystemet.
I love the PZH 2000. Tracked and an auto-loader. One of, if not the, fastest firing and most mobile 155 platforms in service today. Obviously up for debate. But auto-loading 155 allowing for MRSI on a tracked platform has to make it one of the top platforms out there.
If you love the PZH 2000 you should take a look at the newest baby from KMW The RCH 155. But strap your self in before looking at a video from it. You may drop from your chair.
As an Imperial Guardsman I would have to say the Basilisk
Well, anything done by Gerald Bull is an instant classic.
Alas, G6 is just so freakin' cool.
Ordnance QF 18-pounder
The QF 18-pounder was the standard British field gun of World War 1. With a range of 6,500 yards, it fired 3.3-inch (84 mm) shells weighing 18 pounds (8.2 kg). The 18-pounder formed the backbone of the Royal Artillery, with over 3,000 guns in service by the end of the war. Collectively, 18-pounders fired approximately 100 million shells on the Western Front.
Swedish-produced military gear is of the highest quality (craftmanship) you could get. For some reason the Brits seem to dismiss this however, which is quite sad. "Eww, Volvo truck that can get through any terrain and climate? No, we must use a German one that will probably get stuck in our muddy, rain-soaked, fields in our country where it never stops raining". I ofc jest, but my point is that just because Archer might get produced locally in the UK will not make it magically better in any way, shape, or form than the original concept o the platform. Sweden has a lot of snow and marshland, so a truck made for that kind of climate will probably work anywhere in Europe.
Gotta give you props tho, seen a lot of Brits comment on Archer-videos claiming it is a British product because it comes from BAE, which just isn't correct. Good of you to set the facts straight.
Bae did buy bofors back in early 2000s.bofors as s brand is not around anymore.
@@shanjida8353 You can keep telling yourself that... The fact that Bae bought Bofors doesn't make it British!!! Not invented, constructed or built in Britain!