The British Army is expected to take delivery of its first RCH 155 mobile artillery demonstrator in 2028, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed, as part of a joint UK German programme to evaluate a new generation of wheeled artillery.
In a written parliamentary answer, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the Early Capability Demonstrator platform is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2028. The system forms part of a £52 million bilateral agreement signed with Germany in December, intended to support assessment and testing of the Boxer-mounted RCH 155. The RCH 155 is designed to provide highly mobile, long-range artillery able to fire while on the move, a capability increasingly prioritised following lessons from the war in Ukraine. Mounted on the Boxer armoured vehicle, the system features an automated turret that allows a reduced crew and rapid “shoot and scoot” operation to improve survivability against counter-battery fire.
The demonstrator will feed directly into the British Army’s Mobile Fires Platform programme, which is intended to deliver a long-term replacement for existing artillery capability. The Army’s current Archer systems were acquired as an interim measure after AS90 guns were transferred to Ukraine. Further details released by the Ministry of Defence indicate that the assessment phase for RCH 155 will extend beyond the initial delivery.
Pollard confirmed that the joint UK German assessment phase is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2029.
He said the department’s aim is to commit to production on a common build standard “as soon as possible”, subject to the receipt of a fully costed proposal. The assessment and demonstration activities will be conducted concurrently, with the intention of accelerating delivery timelines and achieving a Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade. Under the arrangement, the UK and Germany will carry out shared testing and evaluation, allowing both nations to reduce duplication and shorten decision-making timelines. The programme sits under the wider Trinity House Agreement, the bilateral defence cooperation framework established between London and Berlin to support joint procurement, industrial cooperation and interoperability.
Delivery of the first RCH 155 demonstrator in 2028 will mark the earliest point at which the Army can begin formal assessment of the system in UK service conditions, ahead of any decision on the future shape of its artillery force.
Why the rush suddenly?
Glacial pace procurement ….the MOD should seriously consider buying more Archers as a stop gap.
Yes. This.
Am I the only one getting continually caught by the anti spam filter.
No, I couldn’t post at all the other day for a time!
The Government doesn’t care about heavy armour for the UK Army. As and when is the policy like it or not.
Given that the operational units are supposed to come in 2029, what good will a demonstrator in 2028 do? We’ll evaluate it and then what? Cancel it if it’s shit, leaving the massive capability gap that’s already opened up? And I’m not sure I have faith in our ability to evaluate. As politics overrides the assessment of an evaluator, again I ask, what’s the point of the evaluation?
Didnt Sunak sign us up to this system without any thoughts to a competition against anything else? We ‘evaluate’ find out we don’t like it what then?another decade deciding what to do next! Beyond belief🤬
Nope. The first order was in December 2025, 80 for Germany and one for us to evaluate for three or four years no doubt. We wouldn’t want to rush!
My guess is that the evaluation process feeds information and data into the Land Warfare Center’s work in developing operational practice for the new system. Also, putting the system through it’s paces in a controlled environment will allow it’s strengths and weaknesses to be assessed and, if necessary, modes the to system developed to be retrofitted and included in follow on batches. Spiral development is what it is called I believe and if done properly they will have an on-going ‘evaluation’ process throughout the system’s life span. The RAF have developed their Typhoons pretty well using this approach. The RN is moving a something similar in the way they phase upgrades into the routine maintenance cycles of the fleet, increasing availability of the few ships we have left…
Frankly, anything that breaks the old rigid way of thinking about and doing procurement is a good thing, because the traditional process is no longer fit for purpose that much is clear.
I get your point but this thing has been trundling about for eons as proven by countless videos! So now having to wait till 2028 for a ‘demonstrator’ is taking the piss! Any backup if we don’t like it? In essence we are stuck with it good or bad!
I’m a huge believer in spiral development, but feedback has to come from early operational deployments, not a couple of theoretical tests in “laboratory” conditions. We already know what it’s theoretically capable of and we can run simulations and war games right now without the equipment. What we can’t do is get real troops to use it, and see if it’s up to snuff in the real world and what tweaks will make it better. Perhaps we should buy a few for Ukraine.
On rereading, I don’t think the sarcasm came through properly in my last sentence, so to spell it out. They are already in Ukraine and have been used operationally for a year. That experience is worth more than a year of our evaluation.
No it did come through, mate 🙂
Allow me to explain my thinking behind my post. The main point is that no matter how often the grown ups say we are in a pre-war era or are already involved in an active sub-kinetic war with Russia most people not directly involved in the intelligence assessments or trying to counter Russian activity will look out of the window and see no change to their world. Reassured they will carry on with their daily routine. Sadly, this includes people in roles that would suggest that they should know better and that includes some politicians, some civil servants and some service people as well. The problems will cut across all areas and all levels, because we are talking about people and they come in all different shapes, sizes and types.
We had the same problem in the early years of WW2 – see the Fall of Sinapore as an example of out dated head in sand thinking..! Hence my points about spiral development and anything that breaks the traditional procurement mould. I fear the best we can do in ‘peacetime’ is chip away at the issues we face and hope we can go far enough before the missiles fly and beliefs get shattered the hard way.
So whilst I believe this is a good news I accept that it is not really fast enough, but anything that becomes ‘traditional’ or ‘the way we have always done it’ also becomes extremely difficult to breakdown and we do like our traditions in this country.
There is also the issue that the German’s have just placed a big order, so it might simply be a case of ‘late comers to the back of the queue..!
Cheers CR
Well Ukraine builds its own version of artillery… “at pace” 😉🤔🤣
And doesn’t apply GUCCI stuff
We simply wouldnt be fast enough to produce them!
Ah, but is that the way the British Army would use the system..? See my reply to clarifying post.
All very frustrating ain’t it?
Cheers CR
Two years later than it should be.
Again I am no expert on this but prototype versions of this have existed for a while and demonstrated, I understand that further development was probably necessary thereafter but still two years from actual test versions becoming available for this assessment period. This all seems very snail pace to me especially odd when they then expect first deliveries within a year of that date. Only makes sense if the assessment units are in essence actual deployment ready but give an extra year of hard testing so that any desirable improvements can be quickly introduced on the production line, yet there isn’t any obvious evidence of that to actually be the case.
The Ukranian Army has already been provided RCHs for training, and they have already provided feedback that’s been taken on board. I don’t think they’ve been used in combat yet as they haven’t had Ukraine’s own battlefield management system integrated yet.
As you said, feels very snail pace, maybe it’s the UK-specific systems integrations that are slowing things… 🤔
The problem for the UK is that the Ukrainian orders are taking priority. We are at the back of the queue, rather than anything particular about our intigration taking long.
I’d say fair enough if we were wanting production vehicles for our own deployment.
But the sooner we can evaluate ours, then the sooner a parallel production line can be established in the U.K. that can help fulfil Ukraines needs as well as ours.
I don’t think there is any intention to set up a production line in the UK for 3 regiments worth of vehicles.
We probably should not have given away all our AS90s before having the new system in hand..
Ukraine is using them to kill Russians.
Indeed, but it has left the British army a tad short of an essential piece of kit
It probably have been wise to keep 24 and give Ukraine 44 or if giving the whole lot actually got more replacement 155mm systems ASAP.. 13 guns does not really cut it.
But we aren’t at war and Ukraine is.
Very true and if it was me I would have sourced 36 archer systems ASAP ( 2 regiments of 3 6 gun batteries) and given all the AS90s.. but as it was they gave all the AS90s and did not replace them and have left the army with only 13 155mm guns and that is simply unacceptable with such a high risk of war and the potential for the need to deploy 3rd division…
I suppose one slightly bizarre thing we could do is if there is a peace deal ( which kicks up the risk of war with Russia) we could ask nicely if they could give 24 AS90s back.. after all Ukraine is not going to want to keep the hogpog of equipment post war…
Everything forward and trust in the Lord. Why are we moving so slowly and why is this delivering a long term replacement for existing capacity? Does that mean we will be replacing bugger all with a different bugger all? I do hope Vlad the Mad is not in a rush for world domination, he will just have to wait until we are ready.
Or dozy Don Quixote for that matter.
“Don Mination” ?
Rachel from accounts has looked at all her jars slowly being filled with coins and calculated that by 2028 “Little John H” can have a new Toy to try on approval. But no engine till 2030 so he’ll need to use the pedals and make Brum, Brum noises in the meantime.
Pathetic doesn’t quite cut it really 😖
2028….Aren’t they being used in Ukraine? Or why cant a team just go to Germany and watch a demonstration?
Answered your own question there mate. The Ukranian order is higher priority so all RCH155’s are going to them before we start getting deliveries.
They are, from what I hear, which makes me wonder what this demonstration is for…
One option is that the ones sent to Ukraine were the ones that we would have previously used as demonstrators now- and UK and Germany are prioritising Ukraine’s needs against our own (possible).
Another is that the ones that Ukraine have received are significantly simpler in some undisclosed way, and that development needs to continue to get them to a standard that the UK and German militaries would actually accept (I’m not sure what that difference would be to mean such a huge difference in availability dates, but I guess this is also possible).
The other is that we never intended to get them before 2028 for budget reasons, rather than technical.
I’d also be interested to know what we’re evaluating against, what our criteria are- as we worked the Archers through what must be very similar criteria very quickly and into service…
This has beyond funny !!
What are we supposed to do in the meantime. Fire harsh words at them?
Drones, drones, and more drones. We had better buy some then.
Seriously though, we need artillery and drones. It does at least seem we are purchasing thousands of the latter, with industrial capacity increasing too. The 2029+ timeline for RCH155 is just crazy. We could do with another Archer interim buy.
Still no sign of the Defence Investment Plan. The must have meant Autumn 2030.
Rumours are March 2026 or later. They are busy rewriting it, pushing programs further down the road to a time we will supposedly see budget increases to 3%, then 3.5% of GDP. It must also take time to spin the outcome, so they can still claim 10x lethality, or whatever meaningless figure they have put on it recently.
Push them out to the next election whereupon there will be another Defence Review, Farage will wave a piece of paper from Putin, sit on a stool in the stairwell of the Board of Peace and claim that disarmament is now the fruitful outcome of his election.
actually he has said Starmer commiting UK forces to Ukraine not fit for purpose will get people dead. He has commited to rebuilding British forces that lets be fair Conservatives destroyed and Labour helped and now wont rebuld. At this point for spending on the forces he sounds like the only one left. Oh except the greens that will cancel British Military and send them all home
I’d trust Farage to rebuild the British forces as much as I’d trust Jimmy Savile in a children’s hospital.
the plan needs to be put into practice asap of course. But actually it must be difficult to write an investment plan at a time when the world’s biggest arms exporter is pivoting from being our closest ally to almost being an adversary we may have to face. Imagine the plan, all written – it says we will buy x more F35s. Then the orange one threatens to invade Denmark. Time for a rewrite. Then he’ll do something else, time for another rewrite. etc etc
Then on top of that, drone warfare is moving so fast that you can’t make a decision about what you need in the next year or two as it hasnt been thought of yet. Remote control boats to blow up major surface warships? Didnt have that one on my new weapons bingo card.
Ultimately they are going to have to just go for it at some point, but i have some sympathy for them on this issue
You may be right, although there will always be excuses not to decide anything if you are looking for them. Which this government are.
Maybe they went for before Easter rather than before Christmas because they heard Easter was a moveable feast and they thought that fit better.
The war is scheduled for 2029…
Someone at the MOD is pocketing huge chques from this for nothing delivered, not even trials FFS. If it were Trials going from 2026 to 2028, maybe, but that’s just not what we’re seeing.
Oh well, we’re sure to find £30 Billion for Welfare tomorrow.
The bean counters reckon that if we order more guns we will need more ammunition. Can’t afford more ammunition so only order one gun to protect ammunition stock. Simple.
Exactly what precisely are they doing that takes two years before they can actually test it when it fundamentally already exists and they have already spent most of a year discussing it. What’s happening on the German side here, is all this delay really on the UK side and what we get delivered in reality even if it’s presented as a joint plan?
In reality the British army is probably not getting even one full regiment of 155mm guns until the early 2032.. as far as I’m aware it’s got 13 operational 155 systems.. to cover 2 divisions… that is by any metric pathetic and a betrayal of the army… the reality of the situation is that there should be a whatever it takes plan to have at least a full regiment of 155mms by 2027.. there should be 3.
In reality they should have never given away the whole 70 AS90s to Ukraine, they should have kept 24 operational systems and the now 13 archers.
But since they have they should have done something about it ASAP.. I’m all in for fully supporting Ukraine.. but you don’t donate both your kidneys.
Agreed not unless you have a dialysis machine and a spare handy at the very least. How is it, despite the Defence Investment Plan we can commit to a dozen F35As yet apparently we can’t commit to even the most basic procurement of vital systems and effectively push it a further 2 years out from any reality. Surreal on the surface.
Meant to add was the former commitment due to US pressure?
Nope. 13 155’s for 3 UK Div. 1 UK Div is on 105 light gun. Again, not as dire a betrayal as you are pretending.
13 guns for 3rd is not the 2 regiments of 24 guns each it should have and if we are calling 1st division a deployable division 1 regiment of towed 105mm guns is inadequate.
Maybe not, but would you like to go to war with that inventory?
Apparently, and not referenced in this article, as far as I could see, Pollard also confirmed enough RCH155 for “at least 3 Regiments.”
That equals all that has been suggested all along, 1 RHA, 19RA, and the “bonus” of 4 RA also getting the gun, a big uplift from the 105mm they have at present.
Whether Pollards “enough” is for 3 Batteries of 6 or 3 of 8, as it should be for 155mm Regiments, remains to be seen.
That still leaves 4 Brigade orphaned. HMG are happy to band it about as a fully deployable Brigade non the less, despite it having no regular CS CSS.
Hopefully, by some miracle, another Regiment forms.
Three regiments of 155 is a minimum really personally my view is if the army is required to deploy 2 divisions and rapid reaction forces it needs 4 155 regiments ( 24 guns each)..I also think the should hand over the archers to 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.. for a mixed set of batteries ( 105 and archer) allow for more flex and firepower for the air mobile brigade,
Buts for the 2 divisions DRSBs
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery New 155 system ( 3 batteries of 8= 24)
4th Regiment Royal Artillery New 155 system ( 24)
19th Regiment Royal Artillery New 155 system (24)
Then turn one of the 105 reserve regiments into fight as you train formation armed with the New 155 systems ( say 103rd Regiment Royal Artillery)
That would give the army decent fires ( 96 new systems + 12 archers..) with the 105mms where they belong.. an option for the air mobile brigade and marines.
That does seem roundabouts the ideal.
Though I’d be very surprised if they give SP to 7RHA as they appreciate the underslung capability of the 105.
Hi Daniele,
Do you have a source for the “at least 3 regiments” quote. I have tried to search for it online and the only link that comes up is your post! 🙂
Cheers CR
Hi mate.
Spoken answer by Luke Pollard over the last few days.
I saw it on Gabs Bog twitter feed ( so UKAFC ) a few days ago and as referenced again a few hours ago on there.
” On current plans, RCH155 will initially be fielded to 1 RHA, 4RA, 19RA. However, analysis of future force structures remains ongoing, and final fielding plan remains subject to change.”
So, the 3 Regiments I’ve long highlighted, based on the current ORBAT. Note his “get out clause” at the end of his statement though.
Thanks Daniele,
Much appreciate the clarification. Whilst I take your point about the ‘get clause’ however I would say that they at least have some sense of rebuilding our artillery capability, such as it was.
I also think Dern has made some good points about current systems going to Ukraine and that the Ukrainians probably have a different standard to that which Germany and the UK will want to field. I also note from the article above and another one I have read that suggests that this is a program shared with Germany, the suggetsion being that the timeline is for both nations… Germany probably doesn’t have the same lack of guns as we do, although their army is even smaller than ours, or was mid 2025!
Cheers CR
Just a feeble excuse not to spend any money. Pathetic.
What a load of absolute **&^%*%! It’s a tried and tested system. Why wait till 2028?? Unbelievable! Why not just come out and say ‘no thanks, we don’t want to buy big hurty things, as we never take defence seriously anyhow’.
I’m sitting here with a light seethe at the moment… truly unbelievable
it’s actually close to 3 years for a single unit to play with. Pathetic.