A GBP 53 million contract has been awarded for the production of key artillery weapon systems for the British Army’s new Remote Controlled Howitzer (RCH) 155, part of the service’s long-term replacement for the AS90 self-propelled gun.
The contract, awarded by the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) on behalf of the British Army, will see ARTEC GmbH manufacture 37 weapon systems for the Boxer-based artillery platform.
The RCH 155 forms the Army’s Mobile Fires Platform (MFP), intended to restore and modernise artillery capability following the transfer of AS90 systems to Ukraine.
The contract covers the production of the weapon system elements of the artillery module, including the barrel, muzzle brake, breech, recoil system and trunnions used to mount the system to the turret.
The announcement also includes significant investment in Rheinmetall’s large-calibre gun barrel manufacturing facility in Telford, known as the Gun Hall.
Around GBP 30 million of the contract value will support development of the facility, which is expected to create roughly 100 highly skilled jobs as well as further employment across the wider UK defence supply chain.
The MOD say the investment will help establish a sovereign UK capability to produce large gun barrels at scale, improving resilience and surge capacity for future artillery production.
The RCH 155 combines the Boxer drive module with the Artillery Gun Module (AGM), a remotely operated turret and gun system. The platform can fire up to eight rounds per minute and strike targets at ranges of up to around 70 kilometres depending on the ammunition used.
The vehicle can deploy rapidly, operate with a crew of two and reach speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour, features intended to improve survivability against counter-battery threats.
Brigadier Toby Lambert, Head of International, Industry and Prosperity at Army Headquarters, said the contract represents a major step for both the Army and the UK defence industry.
“This contract is really great news — not only for our soldiers, but for the UK’s ever-increasing industrial base,” he said.
“It demonstrates a strengthening of our supply chains and delivers on our commitments made in the Trinity House Agreement with our close ally, Germany.”
Lambert added that the wider economic effects of the investment could extend beyond the immediate programme.
“The second order impacts of this award are far-reaching: the creation of high-skilled jobs combined with the drive for continued innovation will undoubtedly stimulate further investment in Defence,” he said. “This demonstrates another key step towards the Army’s continual modernisation programme, preparing our soldiers for the future fight.”
thats it, 37? is this a joke?
No mate, surely just part of incremental orders.
I do hope so, the write up is not clear on that either way. I feel 37 can in no way be a final total that would equip one full Regt and a few spares for trials, school of Artillery and war reserve. Let wait and see but not holding my breath we are seeing tiny orders when bigger one are needed.
You never know with HMG. Some Batteries of the 3 Regiments that need the guns might now be dedicated to using catapult to launch OWE, as seen when the CGS visited an exercise.
A bit like the Exactor Battery in MLRS Regiments.
Another thought, a useful way of saving money, they might just use some of the 600 or so Boxer on order as the chassis.
Not possible with a conventional SPG asset like K9.
If this is indeed all that will be ordered, well, the usual, utterly shameful.
But hopefully not.
I’m so confused, this seems like a miniscule amount of money for 37 systems? Is this just for the turrets? Also why only 37, it seems bizarre.
Just the turret not the boxer underneath i woupd assime
Is that it? A prime target for an enemy that’s 100% going to suffer attrition. 37? Might as well just not bother!
Read the article and not just the title.
£53M or £530M?
That seems a little too good to be true given the demonstrators were £52M for 2.
It is just long lead time parts for Batch I reading between the lines.
Continuing with the spatter gun of small procurement contracts…..
👍🏻
All part of the dither, delay and then U-turn model of procurement favoured by our present lords and masters — cf. NMH.
Yay we finally got a number!
But really is anyone surprised about the pitifully small order? But a good vehicle all the same
Not sure if it’s firing on the move gimmick really works in battlefield conditions but here’s hoping it does
They must mean £23M for 37 turrets once you minus out the £30M facility costs?? Otherwise this is the deal of the century.
So 37 Boxer chassis that were going to be used to carry bods around. Will now be used as artillery units. Ergo, if they buy 63 more turrets thats another 63 chassis that cannot be used.
Army procurement. It really is about time for a clearout.
where did they pluck the number 37 from?
in service 2037 IOC 2041 NO DOUBT
37??
That’s 2 18 gun regiments and a prototype. So we are saying our ambition is to field one 2 brigade division.
37 to replace the 99 AS90s transferred to Ukraine… That’s really… typical?
68 AS90s were transferred to Ukraine.
I don’t understand the small number. If the development contract proved satisfactory, why not order the full number you plan to deploy.
Or is the number restricted by the slow pace of Boxer vehicle production.
Good grief an order for something?
Surely there must be a mistake!
~Stil 37 seems very low especially considering the number of artilery systems recently disposed of (either directly or by donation to Urkaine).
Hang on 37 for £53 million and it was 3 for £52 million the other month, is there a sale on? buy 3 get 34 free? this story makes no sense at all
Read the effing article dumbass
I get the armamnet only bit but the Boxer itself? existing chassis? Also the number. If we’re so committed to the system it really doesn’t make sense to order such a small number. If we are, for arguments sake, going to have a hundred SPG’s then why not order 100 now.
Got excited(ish) for a moment but basically the order is just for the gun.
Has line item budgeting written all over it. Next year we will order the turrets and the year after some of the chassis. The year after that we will pay to put them together.
This order has probably been placed for industry angle rather than the military requirement.
Looks like the DIP is just being bypassed.