Sweden receives first four Archer 8x8 SPHs

The FMV has delivered four Archer 8x8 SPHs to the Swedish Armed Forces. (Mathias Eriksson, Swedish Armed Forces)

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) delivered four Archer 8x8 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) to the Swedish Armed Forces at the Villingsberg firing range, BAE Systems and the FMV announced on 26 August 2026. The SPHs were delivered to the Bergslagen Artillery Regiment and will be followed by two more during the fourth quarter of 2026, with all six to be used for training conscripts, the FMV said on its website.

Bergslagen Artillery Regiment A9 commander Colonel Henrik Rosdahl said the Archer 8x8 SPH would be introduced into his unit during the fourth quarter of 2026 and used for conscript training starting in the 2026-27 training year, as well as to equip combat units. The FMV plans to complete deliveries of the remaining SPHs by 2030.

The SPHs were the first delivered under a Swedish order for 48 Archer 8x8 SPHs in September 2023. The FMV said at the time that the contract was worth SEK5 billion (USD482 million at the time).

The Archers are mounted on Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) HX2 trucks. Lars Taraldsson, the FMV's Archer 8x8 project manager, said, “The truck variant is easy to manoeuvre, easy to drive and is generally more comfortable than the Archer 6x6 [SPH it will complement] because it has truck standards. It also has slightly higher protection...But the big difference is that you can get around faster on the roads...With the truck variant you can drive 80–90 km/h, compared to 50–60 km/h with [the Archer 6x6 SPH].”

BAE Systems Bofors CEO Lena Gillström said the delivery “paves the way for further deliveries, supporting Sweden's ongoing efforts to strengthen its divisional artillery capabilities.”