Sweden gets first Archer 8x8 howitzers: How they could strengthen Baltic defense
Photo: Archer 8x8 (FMV)
Sweden has received the first four Archer 8x8 self-propelled howitzers as part of a program for 48 systems designed to strengthen the country's artillery capabilities, according to Army Recognition.
First 4 self-propelled howitzers and artillery capabilities expansion
The handover ceremony took place at the Villingsberg training ground near Karlskoga, where the equipment was accepted by the Bergslagen A 9 Artillery Regiment. Sweden plans to receive two more systems in the fall of 2026—at which point the training fleet will grow to six units, which will be incorporated into the A 9 regiment's conscript training cycle in 2026–2027 and will subsequently become part of combat units.
The remaining howitzers under the 48-system program are to be delivered by the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) no later than 2030.
The FMV signed a 5-billion-Swedish-krona contract with BAE Systems Bofors back in 2023. The procurement has a dual purpose: to replace the howitzers that Sweden sold to the UK and transferred to Ukraine, while simultaneously expanding its own artillery capabilities.
According to the agency's plan, the delivery of the equipment and the full deployment of the A 9 Regiment are expected to reach their final stages roughly simultaneously—by 2030.
Why Gotland and Southern Sweden will be given priority
The Archer 8x8 combines a 155-mm artillery system with a protected all-wheel-drive truck capable of speeds up to 90 km/h—significantly faster than the existing Archer 6x6 fleet (50–60 km/h).
According to the FMV, the vehicle can take up or leave a firing position in approximately 20 seconds, and after a six-round salvo, it can relocate 500 meters in less than two minutes without the crew leaving the vehicle's armor.
BAE Systems adds that the system is capable of firing up to nine rounds per minute, carries 21 rounds in automated magazines, and can engage targets at ranges of over 50 kilometers, depending on the ammunition.
It is precisely this ability to move quickly after firing that FMV cites as crucial for the defense of southern Sweden and Gotland—an island in the central Baltic Sea that NATO views as a key hub for surveillance, logistics, and long-range fire in the region.
An artillery company for the Gotland battalion group is already being prepared by the A 9 Regiment, and during the Aurora exercises in May, two Archer systems conducted live-fire exercises directly on the island for the first time.
Sweden is also stepping up its military support in the aviation sector: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian pilots would soon begin flying the new Gripen E fighter jets, while training for another group of pilots is underway in Sweden itself.
Additionally, Sweden is expanding its cooperation with Poland in the defense industry: Polish companies will manufacture 45 heavy armored logistics vehicles based on Scania chassis for the Swedish Armed Forces under a four-year framework agreement.
