On January 19, 2023, the Swedish government announced the allocation of a new unprecedented package of military assistance to Ukraine, which for the first time included an unnamed number of 155 mm/52 Archer self-propelled howitzers on a wheeled chassis (6x6), and "about 50" CV90 infantry fighting vehicles planned to be transferred from the presence of the Swedish armed forces. The total cost of the package is 4.3 billion Swedish kronor ($418 million).
155 mm/52 self-propelled howitzer BAE Systems Bofors Archer of the Swedish Army (c) FMVThe property transferred to Ukraine by Sweden, in addition to "about 50" CV90 infantry fighting vehicles with ammunition, also includes portable NLAW (Rb 57) anti-tank missile systems, Carl-Gustaf hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers with ammunition, disposable AT4 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, automatic rifles and mine clearance equipment.
The package also includes a Swedish-Ukrainian agreement on cooperation between the Swedish defense procurement agency FMV and Ukrainian departments for the procurement of military equipment and property (as you can understand, it means the organization of military procurement for Ukraine through the mediation of FMV).
Regarding the proposed transfer of Archer self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, the Swedish Government's notification states that it has instructed the Swedish armed forces to prepare an unnamed number of Archer B artillery systems, along with auxiliary equipment and appropriate ammunition, for transfer to Ukraine free of charge. The Swedish Armed Forces have also been instructed to provide a timetable and report on the need for international cooperation for the preparation and delivery of appropriate artillery systems. In addition, the need to train Ukrainian personnel to handle this artillery system should be assessed. The Swedish Armed Forces should also inform the Government about possible ways to replace these artillery systems, auxiliary equipment and ammunition, as well as the associated costs. Possible risks will also be assessed in case these artillery pieces are lost or fall into the wrong hands, as well as ways to solve this problem.
In addition, on January 20, the defense ministers of Sweden and Finland signed a Finnish-Swedish agreement of intent, according to which Finland will transfer to Ukraine a package of assistance in the form of "heavy weapons" at a book value of more than 4.11 billion Swedish kronor ($ 400 million). The content of the Finnish package is traditionally not disclosed by the Finnish side, but, according to a number of unofficial reports on Finnish resources, it may mainly include Soviet-made armored vehicles and artillery with ammunition from the presence of the Finnish army.
Regarding the Swedish 155-mm Archer self-propelled howitzers, we recall that in 2009, the Swedish defense procurement agency FMV concluded, in the interests of the governments of Sweden and Norway, a joint contract for the supply by BAE Systems Bofors to the armed forces of each of both countries of 24 BAE Systems Bofors Archer self-propelled systems (FH77BW L52, Swedish military designation Artillery System 08). However, at the end of 2013, Norway refused to purchase Archer ACS, citing "delays in the program and problems with the characteristics of the system."
Initially, under the terms of the contract, all 24 Archer self-propelled guns ordered for the Swedish army were supposed to arrive in 2011-2012. However, due to the delay in working out and eliminating system defects and difficulties with production from a number of subcontractors BAE Systems Bofors, the delivery of Archer ACS was far behind schedule. As a result, the first battery of four pre-production Archer artillery systems was transferred to the Swedish army only in September 2013, and 20 serial installations - from October 2015 to the end of 2017, making up the material part of the only remaining artillery unit of the Swedish army by that time - the 8th Artillery Regiment stationed in Boden in northern Sweden (Artilleriregementet A 8), consisting of two divisions of 12 systems.
In 2016, the Swedish Ministry of Defense contracted the remaining 24 Archer self-propelled guns, originally ordered by Norway. At the same time, it was initially planned that none of these 24 guns would be introduced into the deployed units - it was assumed that 12 self-propelled guns would be transferred to permanent storage as a part of the third reserve (collapsed in peacetime) artillery division of the 8th Artillery Regiment, and the other 12 self-propelled guns would be offered for sale abroad. In fact, deliveries of the "Norwegian" 24 guns of the Swedish army were made in 2021-2022, while these self-propelled guns were already partially supposed to be used to man the 9th Artillery regiment of the Swedish army restored in 2022, and there was no talk of selling abroad. Moreover, in 2020, the Swedish government announced a decision to purchase another 24 Archer self-propelled guns, but an order for them has not yet been issued.
In October 2022, Swedish media reported that the Swedish Ministry of Defense submitted to the government a secret report on the possibility of transferring weapons and property to Ukraine from the presence of the Swedish armed forces, including some of the 48 self-propelled Archer howitzers received, and, according to unofficial data, it could be about transferring 12 systems to Ukraine. It can be assumed that this amount is planned to be transferred now.
As for the CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, the Swedish army received a total of 562 vehicles of this family from 1993 to 2003, including 355 linear BMP Strf 9040. At the beginning of 2022, 549 units remained on the balance sheet.
CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Strf 9040A) of the Swedish Army (c) Måns Thuresson
