Self-propelled artillery installation FH77 BW L52 Archer “Archer” is the development of a multi-purpose 155-mm self-propelled gun based on the FH77 gun, which has proven itself during long-term service in the troops. The technical implementation of the project was carried out by the Swedish company Bofors.

The Archer self-propelled vehicle is based on the chassis of the Volvo A30D car with a 6×6 wheel formula. The chassis is equipped with a 340-horsepower diesel engine, which allows you to develop a maximum speed of up to 65 km/h on the highway. According to the developer, the wheeled chassis can move in snow to a depth of one meter, and the Archer can continue to move, especially if the wheels are damaged during an explosion.

The engine compartment and crew cabin are located at the front of the chassis. The engine and crew are protected by bulletproof armor that meets level 2 of the NATO STANAG 4569 standard. The cockpit has workplaces for three or four crew members. Depending on the nature of the missions, it may have one or two weapon operators. On the roof of the crew cabin there is a place to install a remote-controlled Protector turret with a machine gun.

Above the rear axle of the chassis are mechanisms for raising and turning the gun turret. The mechanisms of self-propelled guns allow vertical aiming of the guns in the angle range from 0° to +70°. Due to the characteristics of the wheeled chassis, horizontal guidance angles are limited: Archer self-propelled guns can fire at targets in the front sector with a width of 150° (75° to the right and left of the axis). Double struts (remote support) are used at the rear of the chassis to stabilize the machine during firing. In the first position, the gun module returns to neutral, lowering the barrel of the howitzer into a special tray covered with caps.

The main elements of tower equipment are charging mechanisms. According to available data, the Archer uses two interacting mechanisms instead of a single self-propelled weapon system. One of them offers 155mm shells. The mechanized stacking capacity is 21 rounds. The second charging system works with metal charges, supplied in the form of cylindrical blocks with a burning shell. The Archer self-propelled turret stack contains 126 metal-laden blocks. When using a transport loader with a loading crane, it takes about eight minutes to fully load the ammunition.

Depending on the mission, the crew of the Archer self-propelled gun can increase or decrease the total number of launch mixes by varying the number of charges placed in the gun. With the maximum number of projectile loads, the Archer self-propelled howitzer is capable of delivering a projectile to a target at a distance of up to 30 kilometers. The use of active-reactive ammunition increases the firing range to 40 km, and the Excalibur type – to 60 km.

The charging mechanisms of the gun provide a rate of fire of up to 8-9 shots per minute. If necessary, the crew of the self-propelled gun, in the MRSI mode (fire barrage), could fire six shots in a short time. Firing a full set of ammunition (21 shots) takes no more than three minutes. Also, part of the preparation for firing can be done by the self-propelled gun on the way to the position, thanks to which the first shot occurs 30 seconds after stopping at the required point of the route. During this time, the strut is lowered and the tower is placed in combat position. After completing the fire mission, the crew moves the combat vehicle to the starting position and leaves the position. It also takes about 30 seconds to prepare to leave the position.

The combat vehicle has a maximum length of 14 meters and a width of 3 meters. Without the protective tower, the height of the self-propelled gun is 3.3 meters, and after installing the combat module it increases by about 60 cm. The combat weight of the Archer self-propelled gun does not exceed 30 tons. The dimensions and weight of the FH77BW L52 self-propelled artillery make it possible to transport it both by rail and by Airbus A400M military transport aircraft.