Sweden places USD525 million in two orders for Archer artillery shells

Artillery shells from Nammo's 155 mm family (HE-ER second from right) seen in front of an Archer SPH. (Nammo)

Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has made two orders totalling SEK5 billion (USD525 million) for 155 mm artillery shells for Archer self-propelled howitzers (SPHs), split between South Africa-based Rheinmetall subsidiary Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) and Norway's Nammo AS, a spokesperson for Sweden's Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Janes on 8 July.

A SEK4 billion order was placed with RDM for their Assegai 155 mm artillery shells, with deliveries planned for 2025–27. For RDM, owned by Rheinmetall and South African state-owned company Denel, the order for shells and bimodular propellant charges is the largest RDM has ever received and marks the largest investment in artillery ammunition in Sweden since the 1980s.

The Assegai shells have a range of more than 40 km, said Rheinmetall, adding that they are qualified for the armies of multiple user countries. The FMV said the use of Assegai “will represent a diversification of the ammunition that can be used in the Archer system”.

The Assegai family consists of high-explosive, illumination, infrared illumination, smoke, pre-formed fragmentation (PFF), and rocket-assisted Velocity-enhanced Long-range Artillery Projectile (V-LAP) shells. On 6 November 2019, a Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 52-calibre SPH fired an Assegai M2005-V-LAP shell with a new charge that gave it a range of nearly 67 km.

A SEK1 billion order went to Nordic ammunition manufacturer Nammo Sweden AB, as part of a framework agreement and also for the delivery of shells for the Archer system. The order is for Nammo's High Explosive Extended Range (HE-ER) shell, which the FMV said can be fired up to 40 km, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2028.

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