Archer FH77 Self-Propelled 155mm Howitzer

The Archer is a next generation artillery system. It was developed as a replacement for ageing FH 77A and FH 77B towed howitzers. Development of this artillery system began in 2003. Prototypes were trialed in 2005 and 2006. Sweden and Norway ordered a total of 48 of these artillery systems (24 units each). A number of other countries expressed interest in obtaining this artillery system. First Archer howitzers were delivered to the Swedish Army in 2013. However in the same year Norway left the project due to funding problems.
This artillery system is a further development of the FH 77B 155-mm howitzer. Its barrel was extended to 52 calibers to give longer range of fire. The Archer has a rapid, automatic loading system. Maximum range of fire is 30 km with ordinary projectile and 40 km with rocket-assisted projectile. The Archer also fires Excalibur precision guided extended range projectiles with a maximum range of 60 km. It is also compatible with Bonus precision guided projectiles.
Maximum rate of fire of 8 - 9 rounds per minute. The Archer is capable of multiple-round simultaneous - impact firing. It fires up to 6 rounds in 30 seconds, each in different trajectories, so that all of the shells arrive on target at the same time. This self-propelled howitzer has onboard ammunition supply of 20 rounds.
It takes only 30 seconds to stop and be ready for firing. Out of action time is also as short as 30 seconds. Brief redeployment time allows to avoid counter-battery fire.
Secondary armament consists of LEMUR remotely controlled weapon system, fitted with 12.7-mm machine gun and smoke grenade dischargers.
The Archer has a crew of four, consisting driver and three operators. In case of emergency this artillery system can be operated by only two men (driver and one operator). The Archer is operated remotely from the cab.
Cab and artillery system of the Archer is protected against 7.62-mm armor-piercing rounds and artillery shell fragments. It is fitted with an automatic fire suppression system. It is worth mentioning that only vital parts of the artillery system are protected. Cab is fitted with NBC protection. It also withstands mine blasts equivalent to 6 kg of TNT.
The Archer artillery system is mounted on the commercially available Volvo A30D 6x6 articulated hauler chassis. Vehicle id fitted with emergency driving equipment, which makes possible to drive with all wheels punctured. The Archer can be airlifted by the Airbus A400M transport aircraft.
The Archer is reloaded by ammunition re-supply vehicle. Every self-propelled artillery system is assigned with one re-supply vehicle. Reloading time is up to 8 minutes. If necessary the gun can be loaded by re-supply personnel alone. The Archer is also assigned with one support (maintenance) vehicle per unit. It conducts refueling and simple maintenance.
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Matsimus Gaming
Archer FH77 Self-Propelled 155mm Howitzer

[@Rikard_Nilsson]

11:40 The chassi it's based on is used largely in forestation where it transports cut trees, this means that not only is it proven in traversing forests and rough terrain it also has a huge supply of civilian industry spare parts which lowers costs and expands it's lifespan.

[@Ubeer85]

Its based on a Volvo A30 wich chassi is not intended for forestry but construction

[@rickardhelde5004]

Well, the forestry machines are also adaptations of the A30...

[@mohdbadrulhisyambadrulhisy353]

@@Ubeer85

[@Patrik6920]

as the narrator say, its also a tank, wich ofc means it designed to be able to handle trees, larger trees may still have to be blown meaning personell may have to exit...just may...to be honest most trees isent that large, and the low time in/off actin means if targeted its easy/fast to move, only a dircet hit is able take it out of action...

[@steffenrumpel2784]

For some reason, the chassi is the biggest "dislike" I'm having with that platform. The joint between the crew compartment and the trailer seems too fragile for a war zone. Sure, the gun's range means that it isn't in immediate danger. However, as soon as shots are off, you better relocate ASAP. That is different to the chassi's civilian use in forestation where you can take your time to relocate, while not putting too much stress on the joint.

[@patrioticyankee8872]

Unfortunately Norway cancelled their order for the Archer in December 2013. Sweden decided to buy the Norwegian export units in September 2016 and now currently operates all 48 produced units.

[@Corrado234567]

McPuff last i heard we only have 4?

[@evilreddog]

reason for cancellation was very delayed delivery date. So We decided to get a new system all together. As it look like atm it will probably be the Korean K9 Thunder

[@zurakd75]

Dont know if they have all the 24 yet, but atleast 11 are for training and the rest are supposed for being in active state in the 91th artillery battalion for daily operations.

[@DaOneJoel]

Instant screensaver

[@ulfpe]

PatrioticYankee Well Sweden night bred all 48

[@giantmidget420]

BAE Systems, the only bae worth caring about

[@jbolo5378]

Lee Fonz , Theresa May's husband is the primary shareholder of BAE.

[@manicmute9440]

@@jbolo5378 - Your point?

[@steelshower7949]

Yes

[@616CC]

@@manicmute9440 maybe referring to BAE Systems having a majority share of government contracts I mean I think our whole fleet is built by BAE systems

[@kimjonglongdong3158]

@@616CC Not far off at least. At least the T31 is being built by Babcock.

[@seumasnatuaighe]

Re. winter mobility: they have a chain ladder arrangement which fits over the rear bogie tyres, making it effectively a rear track system for snow and forrest floor. The chassis is articulated behind the cab giving the Archer a respectable turning circle through firebreaks etc.Great videos. Glad you're enjoying Canada.

[@charlesfowler4308]

"Can be used in traditional warfare fire support as well as in modern PEACE enforcement missions" well that's one way to enforce peace,with a 152mm howitzer!

[@AlexKall]

Rather 155.

[@charlesfowler4308]

Alexander Källberg thanks

[@tjofrasse]

Rapid peace delivery system

[@zipp4everyone263]

Here, have some PEACE AND LOVE! Lagom mycket, givetvis.

[@elsauce4873]

Its a 155mm

[@slightlymadotter8709]

With the base vehicle of the spg beeing a relativly well liked vehicle that is used in many of road applications from a logging vehicle to a hauler movement in hard terrain should not be problem. The base already proved its abilities on the commercial market for companies in similar situations(like norther logging companies) and it seems to do quite well in that role.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Salesman: "...It's got a 155mm Howitzer on a 6 x 6 chassis. It's got a range of 40 - 60 Kilometers, depending on ammunition. It boasts NBC protection and a crew cabin separated from the gun and ammunition. Would be excellent defense against any modern military threat." Swedish Reps: "Would it be good against, say.... Russia? >.>" Salesman: "Uh....I suppose so...." Swedish Reps: "We'll take twenty-four."

[@matsv201]

Well.. it was actually designed from order of Swedish and Danish defense. So it was not sold at that stage. Denmark later pulled out, and Norway come in.. then after it was finished, also Norway pulled out

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Just a jest, mate. c:

[@zipp4everyone263]

But... Ryssen kommer! Havnt you heard of it, they are full like a kastrull most of the time anyway!

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@zipp4everyone263 that's the problem, they are so drunk they don't go down unless turned to paste and mist and too drunk to feel pain.

[@marcbotnope1728]

Need to repel the EU troops when they land

[@freefall0483]

Those Volvo 6x6 Haulers are epic. I have seen them used on mines and construction sites. Incredible off-road capability and I absolutely beleive that they can power through a meter of snow. Being wheeled, their usefulness in the European theatre, given the very complex and comprehensive road networks, is very sensible. Scary peice of tech. With the optical sight boresighted to the gun, anything that gets within 2km is toast. The ability for one howitzer to fire up to 6 rounds, all on different ballistic trajectories and all to land simultaneously is a very neat feature. Time On Target has, in the past, been acheived by multiple guns and complex maths. A battery of these all firing a 6 round TOT fire mission is a devastating amount of firepower, especially if used on troops in the open. No one in the kill zone would have any hope of diving for a foxhole or trench. Very impressive piece of kit.

[@eaofdeath187]

I have worked with similar chassis in mines, they have great offroad capability and this thing is going to be much lighter than a tipper full of ore.

[@matsv201]

Yea.. they use the mid range A35 chasie, but still have a 20 ton over capacity.

[@eaofdeath187]

I checked out of curiosity, this thing is 21 tons lighter than a fully loaded A30D. www.ritchiespecs.com/specification?type=Co&category=Articulated+Dump+Truck&make=Volvo&model=A30D&modelid=97716

[@matsv201]

They could have loaded a double bareld artilery pieace on it :D

[@matsv201]

www.volvoce.com/india/en-in/products/articulated-haulers/a60h/ There is a 60 ton version now.. they should use this and put 4 barrels on it like the german anti tank tank during WWII.. that would be epic.

[@mikaellundstrom8257]

Jason Reynolds i used to work in the place where they make theese :D

[@JohnDoe-qo4xd]

This makes Caesar look like a homemade backyard construction.

[@ben_win]

You know when you like the video before it's done that they’re a good KZbinr.

[@DaOneJoel]

Every overview gets an instalike. Every one!

[@vegass04]

His videos about tanks and artillery are OK but he misses out in other videos about naval and air assets. His lack of knowledge is disastrous and information are either old or non valid, especially when he touches the strategic or explanatory parts of weapons system.

[@granadakimj]

Sweden, that is a lot of guns for your self. Sweden be like: Yeah, I got them for, you know, research...

[@thevolvo945fan]

Of course we got them for research what else XD.

[@SonnyKnutson]

We got them so the big Russian Bear got something to target :3

[@stalfjord734]

Make the baltic sea an inland sea again ;)

[@AlexKall]

We did have a lot more but towed. We did have at least 48 FH77B and a lot more of FH77A. So these are actually considered to be few compared to before. They are more capable though.

[@Sarsgnu]

for Ivan....

[@ludvigthebirb7131]

say what ya want but that cannon is a beast

[@ToonandBBfan]

Yes. 155mm = 6.1 inches. In the second world war, naval cruisers had guns of 6 inch bore. Its an absolute beast and will rain hell down upon an enemy.

[@Robert-nz2qw]

Best in the world

[@KingKong-os7iv]

That's why we need cheaper intelligent munitions.

[@matso3856]

Could you expand on that statement ? Since ive seen them firing at a car and hitting it straight on.

[@KingKong-os7iv]

Are you asking me?

[@zipp4everyone263]

About the use of this gun in Scandinavia as to the impact of the terrain and weather, its actually just what we need. We rarely get more than one meter of standing snow and even if we do the biggest issue isnt snow but rather all the fords and lakes that dots our landscape. 70% of Sweden is rough terrain (middle to northern sector, the south is as flat as a can of coke in a hot car) or lakes, ie areas you cant easily traverse. Having an artilery system that uses a dumb payload and can cover a large area with a low engagement time is ideal for the kind of a defensive military we have been building up during the last couple of decades. Knowing the Swedish military (being a swede) and our spending we would never buy, or build, a system that wouldnt work in our climate or to spec. Our biggest issue to date isnt the technological one but rather a lack of will to properly fund it, or so i assume since we havnt been to war in a defensive role for nearly 300 years (as a country, we have lots of peace keeping forces out and about). Having the manuverable Gripen in the air and our coast patrols defending the... coast... im sure we would be a tough target to swallow without some hard casulties. But i hope that scenaro never happens.

[@shidder_mutt]

Ever since the Archer was featured on Future Weapons I've been a absolute fan boy of the system. Also the Excalibur has a lot more going for it then just range.

[@kristofferlaursen5970]

hahaha same.

[@kurt5490]

With the world being more populated and affluent since ww2, there are now more roads and bridges & fewer, smaller rural areas. Tracked SPGs now have more disadvantages than wheeled SPGs. This is the way if the future.

[@danielwest2421]

Finally Matsimus! Love it and cheers from Sweden!

[@DreStyle]

Volvo's (Teberg a sister comp) are very good in cold environment We bought a Teberg truck and we were invited by Volvo that designed the truck to do a run in Zweden with the same Teberg type... It was -29 if I can remember.. And I'd did very well Cold start no issues.. Driving was an heaven to be, and it preformed exelent!

[@Kman31ca]

Honestly as a guy who has worked most of his life in Northern Alberta in the Oil fields. I think this thing would plow through as deep of snow as you can find. I've seen much lesser vehicles go through mass amounts of snow with not much problem. If anything, I think in the spring time when the snow melts and the mud gets real thick. That would be the only time you're have to worry. But if it has some advanced traction control, it could be unstoppable. But in tight wood lines I can see it being tough to maneuver though. Being so long. Some of those logging roads are very narrow. I had a Land Rover I rebuilt as an off road vehicle. And with just a 2" lift, and really high end tires. That thing would go places you wouldn't believe. And it was the advanced traction control that really gave it it's edge. By far the best vehicle I've ever driven in winter conditions in Canada. Although it cost a lot to maintain. I'm sure something like this would have probably some of the best drive train for winter conditions in deep snow.

[@AlexKall]

It's 6X6 all wheel drive, the problem in mud is usually when the mud sits against the undercarriage and the wheels can't get traction.

[@HowDidThisHappenNow]

when the mud gets that high you use the steering to make a fish-tail like movment, wasent able to find the clip from England mud channel when it looks like the Volvo is "swimming" in the mud

[@apuuvah]

In Finland we have a LOT of small forest gravel roads for logging trucks. So, high speed mobility on small roads and fuel mileage is key, not so much roadless off-road. You shoot 3 shot MRSI to 40 km accurately and you're gone before the first round hits.

[@luckycharm5251]

I would never be afraid to get stuck in the woods, or anywhere, with a Volvo 6x6 AH. If they've got the full suspension version too, then it's almost unstoppable. Remember, here you have the frame it self, who stands for the turning of the vehicle, and not the wheels, and you can use that "ability" to get unstuck. If you get stuck with a 6x6, you have no business being a driver of that vehicle, not speaking of your career in the army, ending right there, right then.

[@shooter7a]

Yes...this Volvo platform is very similar to the CAT 730. They are direct competitors. Here is a CAT in heavy mud. Volvo can do just as well... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qH7MpWCPf7-GmtE

[@Phooenixification]

you asked in the end if it works in snow, YES ofcourse! its snow up here in northern sweden half of the year so its a must have, and that truck is used at mining sites and i saw one at our dump last summer and its a BEAST, i would say that they are just playing it safe when saying 1 meters of snow maximum so i would say it can travel in 2 meters deep snow any day of the week

[@theother1281]

I wouldn't worry about the chassis, it's also used as a basis for rock haulers in quarries and open cast mines.

[@Riceball01]

Good job on this video, I really appreciate that you lowered the volume of your intro so that it's not way louder than the video segment before and after it. Please continue this in all of your videos going forward, I and others who watch your videos with headphones on will greatly appreciate it.

[@SonnyKnutson]

+Matsimus Gaming Thanks alot for this video :) Really love these reviews. I would like to add that the Archer can also be fitted with the Swedish Tactical Data Link. This means that it can communicate and share information with JAS 39 Gripen. So if a Gripen spot a target. The Archer can shoot it with no delay :)

[@NerothLoD]

So basically an STD then? :D Sounds nasty. Not something the enemy wants to be a part of, I imagine! ;D

[@Prime_Lime]

WOW modern military equipment can be really cool.

[@merigoalex]

This master piece of engineering is really something to deal with, congrat's to Sweden and Norway for its military in choosing it and BEA and BOFORS merit an applause for its R&D on the matter, all for the protection of the crew considering both countries have low numbers of citizens.

[@Duececoupe]

When working for the company, back in the day, when tested these....they did things with these Volvos that you shouldn't be able to do....as they said, give us enough time, we'll make them climb walls! Talk about believe in their product, the 6x6.... 🍻

[@tdogj2084]

To bad the on road trucks are junk!

[@MrMAJK123]

I worked in the factory that made the truck in sweden. Its actually a rebuilt articulated hauler from volvo. Any way brillant video.

[@shingshongshamalama]

Once self-driving vehicle technology matures, this can evolve rapidly into a completely autonomous mobile artillery piece. Sweet dreams.

[@MrBirdonawire]

I have been waiting for this review forever @matsimusgaming Thank you for doing this video. This system is amazing. Shoot and scoot baby! And that is a lot of of rounds downrange before needing to scoot.

[@Cubcariboo]

Canada needs this! It is articulated vehicle and can move around better than you would think. As long as 2+ Cougars but look at those tires! Lol

[@thisghy8126]

Cub Cariboo definitely. We need lots of mobility for our military

[@Kman31ca]

Yes this would be perfect for our military. And we need to give our guys some real kit, not something from the 60's they currently use.

[@thisghy8126]

lol, we have the second biggest country, and a small population spread over it. this is why I believe our military should be focused on a high level of mobility for our forces

[@karl-erikmumler9820]

It might be my inherent bias as a swede but Canada might want to look into the entire military model. Sweden has been at peace for 200+yrs but has been surrounded by greater and warlike powers. Thus the military has long been designed for a type of high-tech guerilla war. Sweden was, and is, thus far more costly to invade than it's worth. No one wants to emulate Phyrrus. E.g. much of our air-force can take off and land on country roads. Both countries share similar challenges.

[@viikmaqic]

Would suite Canadas landscape, I mean it looks kina like sweden

[@TheNinjaDC]

This is my favorite SPG system, and the only one that really feels current gen, and not just upgraded Cold War tech. I wish other nations would adopt it.

[@MrZemIan]

You should check out the old artillery Sweden used called "Bandkanon 1" or "Bkan 1" . The ROF of that thing is pretty insane xD

[@marksman712]

We (Australia) should SERIOUSLY consider this system as our first SPG system, this the DANA or if we are ok with older equipment the PzH2000

[@yatsuraboy9958]

loving this videos, keep them up man!

[@plutonium87]

I've welded belly plates for these kind of vehicles in the past. This thing is a beast!

[@DavidFMayerPhD]

The 155 is the most versatile artillery projectile ever devised.

[@Thetailofthetrident]

Thank you for using your voice instead of a stupid robot voice. Furthermore, I like that you use footage that is pertinent to the subject matter versus showing they same out of context frames (like some other military channels). Keep it up sir.

[@GeOl011919954]

A very impressive Artillery system I have also done quite a bit of research on this system and in my opinion it seems very capable. I wonder how it will do in the export markets. And once again thank you Mat for sharing this video I also look forward to the next one 👍

[@glensullivan5737]

81mm Mortar L16A2 was my thing, spent far to much time hanging round with Artillery Units. Have a great week and thanks for the vid

[@MultiCconway]

The US Army is currently developing longer range artillery. Modifying the M109A7s is one rapid way to do it, and make them more common with the Bradley IFVs in the field with greater logistical support commonality. However, that long barrel does have limits on that platform. This FH77 Archer is very capable, mature, and manufactured by BAE Systems Bofors. This weapon is air mobile in a C-17, shoots guided projectiles, and can handle the longer barrels required for the new longer range guided and powered ammunition. If acquisition is not desired, then a rapid prototype of the concept by American manufacturers like Oshkosh would be a good idea. This beast can shoot-and-scoot very well. If the new powered and guided rounds in fact have BMD capability, this would be the candidate for deployment worldwide including CONUS for the US Armed Services. A common configuration to the extent possible with a naval application has been a dream of many. If rapid prototyping is attempted, the ground unit should come first, and the naval version ready for backfit on Amphibious platforms for Amphibious Assault Support should come second.

[@JohnDoe-qo4xd]

Yaay, Matsimus! At last a great and professional review of this strange beast, kudos!

[@shadowspace7170]

Imagine this thing in red dragon.. Really good artillery system and great video!👍👌

[@pinguliten]

It doesn't have the firing rate of the Bandkanon though.

[@shadowspace7170]

True

[@JohnDoe-qo4xd]

But I'm quite happy w the prototype Bkan in the Swedish deck though...a saviour in all aspects.

[@AlexKall]

The Bkan doesn't have the range of the Archer though.

[@JohnDoe-qo4xd]

Alexander Källberg ; No range in WG are correct...the maps are too small. It's a toy version of real weapons, but a damn good toy for military freaks like us. The BUK for example, 4200-4500mtrs? It's 10.000+, and the Patriot has far more reach. I like the game, but I hope a more large scale, modern version will be developed soon. It would be sweet...

[@Wastelandman7000]

I think the thing that caught my attention was using a tried and true commercial truck chassis and engine. From a mechanical and procurement POV this eases their supply chain/logistics issues. If you can get parts from your local truck parts supplier, keeping the beast running probably won't be a problem.

[@Rbajter]

The FH77B was originally the export version of the FH77(A). The FH77Bs that were converted to Archer were actually part of the second batch of guns meant for India in 1986. India eventually cancelled the second batch but not before Bofors had manufactured 51 guns. They were instead bought for the Swedish army and later replaced the older FH77As when the army downsized. Originally there were approximately 220 FH77A plus the 51 FH77B; in total 271 howitzers. So 24 + 12 doesn't seem like an outrageous amount. :)

[@brizzy991]

Thanks matsimus i enjoyed that and love to hear your honest opinion, i hear you about the long wheelbase and manoeuvre abilty of it but i can put your mind to rest as i used to work on those volvo dump trucks the hydraulic steering with six wheel drive its really agile , it can turn on a sixpence because front wheels dont steer it articulates behind the cab meaning you can face nearly 90 deg without moving an inch by spinning the steering wheel with your baby finger , plus bae made tyres operable fully punctured.Wedge it between 2 trees is only way to get stuck

[@informationcollectionpost3257]

Pretty much love it but which is the best shoot & scoot howitzer? This one or the German one that you did the video on awhile back? Both are impressive. Noticed that this one even includes a mobile neutral buoyancy air hoist with a pneumatic or hydraulic activated below the hook lifting device. This will prevent crew fatigue when loading shells into this beast. That shell will take practically no muscle power to load it! Industrially, similar lifting systems have multipled worker productivity and duration many fold. This is a well thought out beast of a machine.

[@bhogan843]

True ICP357. My first duty station in Germany was M-109 btry. I loaded a with all the ammo and charges by myself and I was the driver. Humping 155 rounds is no joke.

[@philchristmas4071]

My favorite artillery piece. I wish we would just buy these in America. I know we're testing them, so maybe it works out.

[@blinnander]

Sweden has taken over the 24 units originally intended for Norway and will therefore have 48 Archers. Considering that Sweden is 450,000 km2 (Germany is 350,000 km2, UK 250,000 km2) this is hardly to be considered an excessive number given the area that needs to be defended.

[@rogerhowell6269]

Looks a good fit for Mobile Heavy Artillery! Thanks for the heads up!

[@freshspruce5803]

seems Iike a nice modern successor to the Bandkanon-1 the fastest firing howitzer in history

[@karlp8484]

Very impressive. I think because it's articulated it's not as cumbersome as it looks, we didn't see the articulation really used in the vid. As a long-range artillery piece, ability to move along forest tracks and fields would probably be good enough, even tanks would find it difficult to push through dense Scandanavian forest.

[@gullintanni]

That volvo is designed for woodlands and it has a hinge behind the driver's cabin, aiding it in tight corners. The private vehicle is used to chop down threes, so it has plenty of off road potential.

[@Ubeer85]

Its not a forestry veichle. I drive theese for a living and they are made for construction applications

[@gullintanni]

@@Ubeer85 You're right, I had it mixed up with another vehicle. It does look like it could handle rough terrain though.

[@Ubeer85]

@@gullintanni It can handle extremely rough terrain. They are worthless in snow unless they are equipped with snowchains

[@zipp4everyone263]

The archer system: The sexiest way to say goodbye to a very particular mountain.

[@PhotoArtBrussels]

The Volvo A30, what this is based on, is the smallest one Volvo makes. You should see the size of a A60! :-) They are built as extreme condition dump trucks, so to get bashed about. The truck can also be equipped with ultra low pressure 1meter wide tires. This improves traction in extreme mud and snow when needed. Not having steering wheels, as it articulates provides more maneuvering power and traction improvement, the rear can also swivel (left-right), something a normal type truck also cannot do.

[@John_Doe657]

Don’t worry my friend, we don’t leave anything to chance. The system will work just as good in snow as in any other weather condition 💪🏻🇸🇪

[@mrgadget1485]

Respect Sweden, from Finland!

[@raus_mit_Islam]

Protection and mobility beats all other artillery systems!

[@polse1243]

There are two reasons why the Swedish armed forces are buying "so many" of the Archer artillery systems. First reason is that the older towed artillery (fälthaubits 77 & fälthaubits 77b) are being/have been discontinued. The second reason is that the Swedish armed forces are focusing on being more mobile/fast due to the size of country and other factors that i cant remember at the moment. Edit: "so many"

[@zeleni79]

Ive seen them live at military show about a year ago in Stockholm. Amazing piece of tech.

[@zurakd75]

@Matsimus Gaming Norway doesn´t have these artillery pieces, they dropped of the deal so Sweden took the 24x that was supposedly to be for Norway!. 12x of them are put in the storage atm and 12x others are in state that Sweden might sell it if anyone wants to buy it. So Sweden are gonna have 48x of them, 24x for the two battalions in Boden and 12x in the storage.

[@rauknrolf]

It will not get stuck in snowy conditions I believe! Of course, it is not a tracked vehicle, so some limitations, but I believe it is well suited for the conditions it is supposed to operate in.

[@ThrillBirdHD]

Really cool to see that you're looking at the Swedish vehicles lately, both the Gripen video, CV90 and now this! Would love to see your take on our MBT Stridsvagn 122 next!

[@LosBerkos]

There is no such thing as an MBT named Stridsvagn 122. That is a designation for the Leopard 2A5S.

[@MrAnton275]

So essentially what you are saying is that there is a Leopard 2 variant named Stridsvagn 122. Wich means that there is a MBT named Stridsvagn 122.

[@JohnDoe-qo4xd]

LosBerkos ; Well, the Swedish variant is unique, has a few different armour and systems upgrades, so yes, there is actually a MBT called Strv 122.

[@AlexKall]

Actually it's designated as Leopard 2S or Leopard 2IS by the manufacturer

[@Kaxlon]

The Volvo 6x6 is a tried artic platform, so no worries about snow and ice being a problem. Remember that small detail that Swedish mining and forest work goes on non-stop, year round. So the mil selected a tried and easily operated platform.

[@karanvarma4843]

I hope India buys this we already have the fh 77 licensed manufacturing .Modernising it would be great.

[@0utd0wns0uth]

Love these type of videos, always so informative, looking forward to your future uploads man!

[@satanihelvetet]

About the terrain and thru snow driving capacity: It will/can not perform as a tracked vehicle, but as a compromise between the load capacity, road performance and terrain performance, this vehicle is probably the best option and will perform almost as good performance in heavy terrain as a wheeled vehicle possible can do.

[@jensolsson9666]

Archer handles snow up to 1m. Not many armored tracked handles more…. The snow gets compressed under them and they end up on a compacted snow platform with the tracks spinning in the air. Unarmored there is the Swedish BV-206 , and many international copies, that has low enough ground preasure that it goes above the snow.

[@marcusrussell8660]

The coolest system I wish the US had bought several hundred of these.

[@ericlane3256]

Seems like they’re going to pretty soon. Either that or the ATMOS iron sabre

[@remistiegler5302]

@@ericlane3256 The US are currently testing differents systems of foreign wheeled howitzers : The French CAESAR by Nexter, the Swedish ARCHER by BAE Bofors, the Israeli ATMOS by Elbit and the Serbian NORA B-52 by Yougoexport

[@bluegent7]

Due to lumber harvesting there are small roads basically everywhere in Sweden. Rarely would they need to go into the terrain.

[@tsubadaikhan6332]

I have it on good authority you guys also sweep your forest floors regularly to prevent wild fires. Good work Sweden!

[@archdruid9955]

The Excalibur is a existing 155mm artillery round fitted with a GPS system.

[@AlexKall]

Yes, used by at least Swedish and US armed forces. Joint development between USA and Sweden.

[@petter5721]

I did work well in -43C last winter in Sweden! The mobility of Archer is as good as the platform it is built on (Volvo A30D), With six wheel drive and snow chains it is a beast in deep snow. Secondary armament is a 50 cal on the roof (Protector) not 7,62mm. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3qrfZ6kqcabb7M Archer in the video is an Old prototype. Archer can be operated by 2men if needed.

[@tntfreddan3138]

I wonder what an even bigger one would look like. I'm thinking maybe at least a 203mm gun on a Volvo A60H chassi.

[@petter5721]

@@tntfreddan3138 Not going to happen because one requirement is that Archer shall be air transported in a Hercules.

[@tntfreddan3138]

@@petter5721 yeah, true.

[@pistonburner6448]

Yes, we know that you Swedes go crazy for long shafts. And now you guys double-team that thing? That makes sense...

[@brianhawkins7278]

Pretty bloody impressive.

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

Jeez. A battery of those things could pound a target and be on their way, away from any counter battery fire in seconds. They would be a bloody nightmare to track down and destroy.

[@JH-lo9ut]

I read somewhere, that at longer ranges, the Archer can fire off a salvo, pack it up and be on the move before the first shell hits the ground. And the enemy would need to search a radius of up to 50 km around the impact zone. Just open up google maps and take a look at what a 50 km radius looks like. That is several cities amount of space.

[@Groza_Dallocort]

@@JH-lo9ut In northen Sweden you only see a alot of woods and forest roads

[@bret9741]

Matsimus, thank you again. I love learning about a lot of things. No matter what a person believes about the military (I love professional, competent, confident, and humble servant warriors).... everyone should be able to appreciate the incredible technologies that are driven by defense. Matsimus, I would love to see you tackle some strategic topics. You seem to have a strong working knowledge of military operations and tactics. Would you consider looking at individual nations overall capabilities, their strengths and weaknesses? In addition I would appreciate someone explaining the primary focus or goals of individual nations armed forces. For example, are the nations focused on defense or are they building an primarily offensive military capabilities and strategic goals are.

[@martinborgen]

Possibe reason for the number of artillery could be for eventual future needs (swedish defence politics are slowly changing) - at the peak of the cold war, a swedish mobilization would send about 800 000 people into the armed forces (at the time 10% of the population). Thats' also why sweden has/had so many towed versions of the gun available for conveting into the Archer.

[@brizzy991]

For a neutral country i have to say the quality of weapon systems produced by sweden is fair impressive and up there with the best of them basically the archer is a volvo dump truck with a state of the art howitzer bolted onto the chassis and thats a reliable rough terrain beast, even the saab gripen jet they developed, id say if putin crossed the swedish border thinking of taking their country hed be in for a shock thats a fact

[@Captain_Draco]

Actually, the design looks like it specifically had woodland navigation as a design philosophy. It looks very similar to types of forestry equipment, and if it was painted yellow it could almost pass as it when in the mobile configuration.

[@moronicvideos]

It's a modified articulated hauler so yes. Used in mines and also in the logging industry.

[@Deckzwabber]

Actually painting it yellow could be a better camouflage for this thing than a traditional military pattern.

[@gooner72]

I like the idea of it being heavily automated and it having a large rechargeable magazine so it's very smart, clever old BAE Systems.....

[@2serveand2protect]

... so - PRACTICALLY - this is a 155mm "SNIPER-SUPER-GUN! - a sort of HIGH-PRECISION ARTILLERY!...

[@zipp4everyone263]

Basically. One that works in tandem with other systems to provide dumb fire against ground targets.

[@puggleski6097]

Even better, tbh. The mobility is fantastic for its weight, and the ability to hit targets in way 3 or 4 shells land simultaneously on target is a force multiplier. However, all the elx translates to very high maintenance costs.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@puggleski6097 not as high maintenance costs as you seem to think as all the parts that gets worn bu driving is mass produced for the civilian market for the mining and logging industries world wide. The wheeled chassi is basically built on the T-ford equivalent of modular civilian all terrain industrial vehicles

[@eliaslundstedt5607]

I have driven the dump truck that this is based on, it's easy. I did it when I was 14 and I had no problems

[@tinkertailor7385]

Though it's large and unwieldy looking, appearances can be deceptive. Logging trucks and equipment of similar size routinely work in forest areas and Sweden would be drawing off that driving skill base from its large forestry industry.

[@zoom5024]

Yes this is a modified version of the Volvo A30E Dumper so this thing is proven concept when it comes to operating around mines and in forrests.

[@Make-Asylums-Great-Again]

Coolest looking self propelled howitzer (Archer-gun) imo.

[@Outside85]

I have a hunch that Sweden designed this on the same kind of principles they designed their Stridsvagen 103, meaning they wanted a vehicle that was completely at home and highly mobile in the Swedish terrain that would move around as needed and take pot-shots at the invading Russians or lay down a withering rain of shells and move on before a counter attack can be made.

[@AlexKall]

Exactly!

[@coggie76]

First prototype was a lot earlier than 2005. Possibly confused with BAE getting involved. I did my military service in Sweden in 1996-97 and we had an early protype (most likely the first) back then called the Bofors 77D built on an armored 6x6 Volvo dumpster chassi just like the Archer and it looked just like the Archer compared to the old slow self propelled/towed 77A and B. MRSI capability was 6 rounds even back then but probably at a shorter range.

[@kylebroflovski5333]

Being Swedish I clicked on this video as soon as I saw it.

[@user3141592635]

I loved to see a very beatiful young woman on an airplane, from ~ whatever, to Minneapolis. She asked me about everything. I did not get bored for the whole flight at all. Very fun. When we landed, she met her female friend, they laughed back at me, chuckeling :) I wish I were a Wiking, I might have taken her back to Sweden. :)

[@siliconvalleyengineer5875]

Wow, just wow.. If only the Ukranians could field this weapon. I can only imagine how more deadly the Archer would be firing rocket assisted excalibur GPG guilded shells. the ability to fire 3 shells in 1.5 minutes then move quickly away is a game chenger.

[@baronhyatt6729]

This fire system is so badass

[@mikapesonen5811]

I drive this and IT IS very good

[@andreassjoberg3145]

To get Archer in position, you combine it with Infantry using the CV90 tracket APC system, or any other medium tank. If you put a plow-blade on the front those wehicles they can make a road for the archers to get almost anywhere. No weapon system ever operates on it's own. Infantry with chainsaws or bulldozers can easilly clear away trees, and the gun-carrier trucks can traverse almost any terrain. The one big problem is navigating thight city streets, so unless you can go around the bigger cities those can become deadly chokeholds.

[@flippenswe]

the FH77A/B is not in service in Sweden anymore. Archer is the only artillery we got

[@aritakalo8011]

Filip Karlsson like only only artillery? Nothing else, because even 48 pieces of guns for country the size of Sweden is freaking sparse. Like sure these guns can rain he'll where they are, but its still only 40 km range. So should there be an extended front, that would be bad. Like no mortars, no any other towed guns at all? That is pretty dicey.

[@Th3Sw3DiShDuD31]

Ari Takalo swedish armed forces are currently reinstating 120mm mortars back into service. And that's about it

[@NerothLoD]

There should be like 480 of these, not 48. But the government idiots in charge are more interested in "HBTQ" and "feminism". (They're not, but it's what sells right now, so they go with it.) Also, I would argue that with the Archer system, you don't really need anyhting else. They're mobile, and deploy/redeploy rapidly. We don't need anything else, just more of these grunkor.

[@flippenswe]

Sweden toke the towed guns out around 2009 but has mortars. I guess we have about 4-6 Archers ready so they have to make a few

[@EngineeringNibbles]

NerothLoD sure 480 because Sweden needs nearly 2x more Arty than Germany needs tanks

[@andrewlambert7246]

This is without doubt a very good gun!

[@Mr556x45mm]

0:43 When she says she likes artillery

[@Kaldosthesergal]

I love listening to your videos mat, notihng better!

[@PerStenback]

11:25-12:05 One round every 9 second, listen closely and you hear the reload :)

[@SonnyKnutson]

Every 7.5sec actually ;) 150sec / 20 rounds = 7.5sec per shot.

[@translaterinokripperino5824]

8:40, gotta stock up on those toilet rolls, a truly substantial display of great forward-thinking from Sweden!

[@Rullstolsboken]

finaly

[@coggie76]

Don't know where you got the 2003 dev start and 2005-2006 prototypes from. Havn't looked into what info is available online but i did my military service back in 1996-97 and we had the first prototype of what would become the archer for trial then. It was called the Haubits (howitzer) 77D and was mounted on a protected 6x6 Volvo just like the Archer and could put 6 rounds at same location at the same time just like the Archer. Sure it was an early prototype but development absolutely started way before 2003. Possibly it was only Bofors back then and the BAE-Bofors venture may have started in 2003.

[@MattiasOskarsson]

A battallions fireburst of these (12 guns × 3 rounds in 15 secs) ,airburst and all projectiles arriving at the same time, will put the fear of any god in you. It will also, in a very harsh way, explain the meaning of the expression "Steelrain".

[@aymonfoxc1442]

I think it'll put the fear of science in you 😀 Amazing and horrifying engineering/ IT clearly went into this thing. It'd be a shame to find one's self down range.

[@GeneralThargor]

Wonderful presentation on this very well produced machine, you say that you don't know how well it can perform in it's home environment but i think it will do well there, I only hope it is never really tested.