The British Army is to get a major upgrade to its artillery capabilities under a nearly €1.15bn (£1bn) defense contract for 72 remote-controlled howitzers (RCH 155).
The next-generation artillery systems, developed through a partnership between Germany’s Rheinmetall and KNDS, will replace AS90 weapons donated to Ukraine in 2023.
Mounted on an armored BOXER chassis, the RCH 155 can fire up to eight rounds per minute at targets up to 70 kilometers away while traveling at speeds of up to 100 km/h. Advanced automation means the system can be operated by just two soldiers from inside the protected crew compartment.
“Britain responded to the call for help by providing artillery systems to Ukraine at the outbreak of war. We knew the risk – the gap in our combat capability – that this would present,” Lieutenant General Simon Hamilton, deputy chief of the General Staff, said in a statement.
“The success of bringing the RCH 155 under contract to develop our 155mm Close Support Artillery requirement, in cooperation with Germany, marks the first significant milestone in the replenishment of this capability,” he added.
Rheinmetall will manufacture key weapon components at its Telford facility in central England, while KNDS UK will build the BOXER propulsion modules in the northern English town of Stockport.
The first RCH 155 vehicles are expected to be delivered in 2028.
The deal, awarded by the Organization for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR), is part of the UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement aimed at improving NATO defense cooperation and interoperability.
(aw)
