British Army Selects Rheinmetall RCH 155 for Mobile Fires Platform Requirement
The British Army is set to procure the Boxer-based RCH 155 self-propelled howitzer for its its Mobile Fires Platform requirement to replace the venerable AS-90.
The announcement came during Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to Berlin to discuss deepening Anglo-German defense and security cooperation. A UK government press release said: “UK and Germany will announce plans for a joint endeavour to develop Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm Wheeled Artillery Systems (RCH 155).”
Sunak said during remarks in Berlin that: “the UK and Germany are European powerhouses. Together, we are stronger – whether that is defending against Russian aggression or driving economic growth and technological advance.”
The RCH 155 module is mounted with a 155mm caliber L/52 gun which is auto-loaded and can fire up to 9 rounds per minute. The vehicle has a ready ammunition supply of 21 rounds onboard and will likely be paired with a replenishment vehicle variant of Boxer.
The UK is already in the process of procuring Boxer, with a planned procurement of just over 620 vehicles of various variants. These are being built by a joint venture called Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) at BAE’s facility in Telford, Shropshire. The manufacturing split between the UK and Germany has not been outlined but RBSL will likely provide the vehicles for German produced gun system modules to be mounted on. The British government reitterated that the Boxer program already supports “more than 100 separate UK-based subcomponent suppliers”. RBSL is also delivering the UK’s refitted Challenger 3 main battle tanks.
The UK donated 20 operational, and 12 non-functioning, AS-90s to Ukraine in 2023. This led to the launch of the Mobile Fires Platform requirement which has seen systems such as BAE’s Archer and Hanwha’s K9A1 Thunder evaluated. 14 Archer propelled howitzers were procured as an interim capability in March 2023.
Lieutenant General Dame Sharon Nesmith DCB, the British Army’s Deputy Chief of the General Staff, said:
“I am very proud that we have the opportunity to collaborate with Germany to develop RCH 155 as the British Army’s Mobile Fires Platform. It not only presents an invaluable opportunity to work alongside our vital ally Germany, but also demonstrates our clear commitment to and leadership role within NATO. RCH 155 will provide a worldclass 155mm self-propelled artillery gun system to the Royal Artillery – an excellent strategic fit with the British Army of the future.”
RCH 155 is expected to enter UK service by the end of the decade. Before then it is likely to be battle tested in service with the Ukrainian armed forces who have 36 RCH 155s on order with initial deliveries tentatively planned for late 2024.