The Ministry of Defence has said it is too early to confirm when the British Army’s new RCH 155 wheeled artillery system will enter service, though the project aims to achieve “minimum deployable capability within this decade”.
Responding to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Defence Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said the Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm remains in the assessment phase and has not yet reached the point where an in-service date can be set.
“The project aims to achieve Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade and will deliver the Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) Calibre Wheeled Artillery System. The project remains in its assessment phase and therefore it remains too early to provide an exact in-service date,” she stated.
The RCH 155, developed by KNDS and mounted on the Boxer 8×8 chassis, was selected by the UK in 2024 as the preferred platform for its Mobile Fires Platform programme. The selection followed a joint agreement between the UK and Germany to collaborate on development, with the programme estimated to be worth more than £3 billion.
While the Ministry of Defence confirmed the RCH 155 as the basis for the British Army’s future self-propelled artillery system, the project has not yet advanced to full-scale production or contracting. Officials have continued to use broad language, committing only to a capability “within this decade.”
Earlier information indicated that the assessment phase is focused on refining technical requirements, costs and industrial participation.
The RCH 155 is intended to replace the retired AS90 and complement a limited number of interim Archer systems, which are currently filling the gap in the Army’s artillery capability. The system is designed to provide mobile, digitally networked firepower with high shoot-and-scoot survivability, reflecting operational lessons from recent conflicts.
Atleast they’re honest about not having a clue when the platform will be deployed.
Archer is not filling the gap! The ridiculously small number of them can’t replace the large number of AS90s donated to Ukraine. The hard fact is the British Army does not currently have a suitable Artillery capability and is unfit to fight any potential foe.
Its an absolute joke and i think it will take a direct war with ruzzia for the government to finally wake up.
Fear you are right. Despite all the chatter they clearly don’t think it’s a real danger.
100% agree. It feels like they’re using Ukraine to weaken ruzzia.
I really hope it hasn’t taken you three and a half years to work that one out.
It would but it’s insanely unlikely. Ukraine has weakened Russia to a point of no return. It’s had to pull from it’s soviet stocks and even they are almost depleted. Details of how many new units it’s building a year are patchy at best, but based on zero build up of stocks and no sudden involvement of them on the front line it’s safe to say tiny numbers.
With Russia gone as a land army threat to NATO , there isn’t really anything on the horizon that would require large volumes of artillery to be deployed, so the decision isn’t insane. Give everything we have to Ukraine and rebuild slowly but faster than Russia.
Well the Ukraine military is currently using the AS90s to fight Russia for us 🤷🏻♂️
Is is comforting to see that the powers that be have decided we still have several more years grace before we need to have actual kit in operational service…
“UK still assessing new artillery timeline”… says minister.
He’s lying again!! What that poli-speech actually translates into is… we do not wish to pay out for more equipment at this time.
What a complete joke it is…🤣😒😡
There is nothing to assess!!
Meanwhile, the Ukrainians, as war rages on, manage to pump out their own Bohdana 2S22 plus improvise on other equipment
“The project aims to achieve Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade”
Wonder what that is? A Troop? A squadron?
Sorry, meant Battery.
So we had 89 – AS90s – (I55mm) These have mostly been donated to Ukraine.
That leaves the army with:
126 L118s (105mm towed)
14 Archers (155mm)
44 GMLRS
Taking the 14 Archers into consideration, that’s 75 less barrels, a large drop in 155mm fires capability.
But again, no urgency to address this from the MOD
Further back we had more, 6 Regiments worth of AS90 around 2007.
The MLRS is expanding to between 60 and 70, at least.
Otherwise, pitiful.
I’m sure it was stated that the FMF capability was being accelerated.
As Spock said the other day, if they’re waiting for the UK jobs side and building a factory, it could be a while.
Well they’ll use the existing Boxer production facility to build the chassis. But they need to build over 500 of those first. Rheinmetall are going to behold the new gun barrel facility on the same site, so the only question is where is the actual turret going to be manufactured? 🤔
Hasn’t the UK also ordered some HIMARS too? Why not another interim batch of 14 Archers? They won’t be wasted. Hope they’re still noticing tracked SPGs available like the Korean K9/10s and not being totally obsessed with just wheels. Talking of wheels, when are they going to order some mobile Shorad, like the Boxer Skyranger 30, to protect all these assets and personnel? Are they being assessed? Aren’t these needed as a priority?
In the meantime, we could buy some M777s. The army tested the LIMAWS(G) portee version years ago. Not as quick to shoot and scoot as the RCH 155, but still highly mobile.
And a high UK content, especially if a Supacat vehicle is used.
And with a low range.
They have little sense in 2025.
The RCH-155 will be high U.K. content.
Boxer chassis production is already underway here and Rheinmetall are going to build a gun barrel production facility in Telford.
I wouldn’t care so much about the current state of the army, if the navy and air force were getting the equipment they need instead. Which they aren’t
We are an island after all, you could shrink the army down to 50,000 men if it meant the navy and air force getting larger in the process.
Let the european members of nato worry about land threats
Completely agree.
But we also have interests around the world where the army may need to be deployed. Ultimately our entire military needs expanding.
So you would expect NATO to help defend Britain against air and naval threats but leave the land war to them!how does that work in the scheme of things?
You don’t like it, but you should have gone all out with Archer, CAESAR MKII or K9.
Chasing paper systems won’t get you anywhere. The RCH155 is also very expensive.
We have archer and should have simply purchased more it’s a good solid modern system that’s available to buy now.
Yeah.
The best is the enemy of the good.
All because a PM who hadn’t a clue decided to play politics with the lives of British soldiers🤬
If Boxer RCH has been selected as the mobile fires solution. Then what precisely is the assessment phase? As surely that would have been done prior to selecting the weapon system.
Nope Sunak signed up to it out of the blue with no consultation with the Army(RA) at all!
Buy more ready to go Archers …,