The defenders of Ukraine showed how they eliminated three Russian 152 mm D-20 howitzers near Kupyansk using the Swedish Archer self-propelled 155 mm howitzer. This system can fire three shots in 25 seconds, which means that the Russians don’t even have a chance to fire back. In fact, the Archer Artillery System is probably the perfect counter battery tool.
The Archer Artillery System is perfect for counter battery fire because it is very quick. Image credit: Stridsvagn122 via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Even if the Russian counter-battery radars recorded the position of the Ukrainian Archer howitzer, after just one minute Archer was no longer there. That is why Ukrainians highly praise the Swedish self-propelled howitzer and consider it the best in the world. The defenders of Ukraine refer to the Archer as a sniper howitzer.
Here’s how the Archer dealt with three Russian 152 mm D-20 howitzers near Kupyansk in Kharkiv region:
Swedish Archer destroys three Russian 152mm D-20 howitzers in the Kupiansk area pic.twitter.com/FNnM7apTrV
— PS01 (@PStyle0ne1) March 9, 2024
The Archer is a highly automated howitzer. It requires a small crew of just 3-4 soldiers, who are protected in its armoured cabin. It has a quick automatic loader that allows firing up to eight shots per minute in a rapid fire mode.
The Archer howitzer normally carries 21 rounds in its internal compartment and can fire them in just 2.5 minutes. The Archer can also fire the M982 Excalibur extended range smart projectile, which uses a rocket booster to travel up to 60 km and is extremely accurate. Normal rounds reach targets up to 31 km away.
The Archer Artillery System is a very rare self-propelled howitzer and the defenders of Ukraine are very happy to receive as many as 8 of them. It needs to be said though that at least one Archer howitzer is confirmed as lost in action. That is just a reality of war and the defenders of Ukraine hope to take advantage of the remaining systems to the fullest. Especially because the Archer is well-designed for counter-battery strike purposes.
Archer artillery system is incredibly fast and works well in counter-battery operations. Image credit: Ibaril via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Artillery rounds are much different from most missile or rocket strikes. Artillery projectiles follow something that is called a ballistic trajectory. This means that the projectile is kicked up and away by a blast of expanding gases and follows down in an unpowered flight. This means that artillery projectiles follow a tall parabola trajectory.
If at least part of that trajectory can be recorded and analyzed, finding out the exact location of the artillery system is very easy. In fact, special counter-battery radars are being used for this exact purpose and they make short work from pinpointing the location of the active artillery forces. And once the location of the attacking artillery systems is known, counter-battery fire can be arranged. That’s where the Archer shines.
Speed is very important in counter-battery fire, because the location of artillery can quickly change. The Archer is based on a large all-terrain articulated hauler and arrives speedily. In just a minute it is ready to fire. It can fire three shots, hit three targets and leave before the first round reaches its target. This means that Russians cannot fire back even if they have some sort of counter-battery radar in the area.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: Tech.wp.pl, Wikipedia