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Latvia Approves Procurement of Archer Wheeled Self-Propelled Artillery Systems from Sweden.
Latvia has approved plans to acquire 18 Archer wheeled self-propelled artillery systems from Sweden, clearing the way for an intergovernmental agreement. The move strengthens Latvia’s long-range firepower at a time when NATO’s eastern flank is rapidly expanding its artillery capabilities in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
On 14 January 2026, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers gave conceptual approval to the acquisition of Archer wheeled artillery systems for the National Armed Forces, marking a decisive step in the country’s artillery modernisation. According to an information report published on the official website of the Latvian Ministry of Defence, the decision authorises the ministry to move forward toward an intergovernmental agreement with Sweden for 18 systems. In a regional security environment shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine and a rapid build-up of long-range fires across NATO’s eastern flank, the move is designed to significantly reinforce Latvia’s indirect fire capability and deepen defence cooperation with Sweden. The Archer procurement carries operational, industrial and political weight well beyond the relatively small number of guns involved.
Latvia has approved the planned purchase of Swedish Archer wheeled self-propelled artillery systems, a move aimed at strengthening its long-range firepower and deepening defence cooperation with Sweden amid heightened regional security concerns (Picture Source: BAE Systems)
The government’s decision formalises a trajectory that has been in preparation for more than a year. In June of the previous year, the Ministry of Defence signed a letter of intent with Sweden that set out a mutual commitment to conclude an intergovernmental agreement for the delivery of 18 Archer systems to the National Armed Forces. The latest cabinet endorsement confirms that Archer has been selected as the preferred solution for Latvia’s future indirect fire capability and unlocks detailed negotiations on price, schedule, logistics and training. In parallel, Defence Minister Andris Sprūds and his Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson are due to sign a bilateral defence cooperation roadmap that includes the deployment of Swedish Archer systems to Latvia from 2026 and the creation of a joint Archer 6x6 unit for training and doctrine development while Latvia awaits its own deliveries. This arrangement will allow Latvian gunners to build experience on the system, validate tactics and procedures, and integrate Archer into national and NATO command-and-control structures before the Latvian-owned guns arrive.
Today, Latvia’s tube artillery is centred on the tracked M109A5Oe 155 mm self-propelled howitzer fleet acquired from Austria from 2017 onward. A 2018 agreement with Vienna covered 47 vehicles, including howitzers, fire-control and support platforms, giving the Land Forces their first modern self-propelled artillery capability at relatively low cost. The M109A5Oe, equipped with a 39-calibre 155 mm gun, typically reaches 23.5 km with standard high-explosive shells and up to about 30 km with rocket-assisted projectiles, and requires a crew of six in a turreted configuration that relies heavily on manual loading and gun laying. Several of these howitzers have already been transferred to Ukraine in support of Kyiv’s defence, which, while politically significant, reduces the number available for Latvia’s own use. Against this background, the Archer decision is not simply a “replacement” but a qualitative leap, moving Latvia from second-hand tracked platforms with limited range to a new, digitally integrated family of wheeled systems with extended reach and far higher automation.
Archer itself is a fully automated 155 mm/L52 artillery system derived from the Bofors FH77 howitzer and offered in both 6x6 and 8x8 wheeled configurations. In both versions, a 52-calibre gun is mounted on a protected chassis with an automated magazine for 21 projectiles and associated modular charge containers. The system can fire three rounds in roughly 20 seconds, sustain up to 8 rounds per minute for short periods, and deliver multiple-round simultaneous impact (MRSI) missions with up to six shells arriving on target at the same time, depending on range. With standard NATO high-explosive ammunition Archer achieves around 30 km, rising to about 40 km with extended-range projectiles and up to roughly 50 km when firing precision-guided M982 Excalibur rounds; it can also employ sensor-fuzed BONUS top-attack munitions for anti-armour engagements. All gun operations, from laying and loading to fuze setting and firing, are controlled from inside an armoured cabin that protects the crew against ballistic threats, mines, artillery fragments and CBRN hazards, eliminating the need for gunners to work exposed around the weapon.
The latest generation of Archer, developed on the Rheinmetall MAN HX2 tactical truck in an 8x8 configuration, offers high tactical and strategic mobility and represents the current production standard selected by Sweden for its future fleet. This version can reach road speeds of about 90 km/h, has an on-road range of up to 800 km on internal fuel, and can deploy from travelling to firing configuration in around 20 seconds before displacing just as quickly, key attributes for evading counter-battery fire. In parallel, the 6x6 model, already fielded by Sweden and the United Kingdom, uses a different chassis but retains the same gun, autoloader and fire-control architecture; it offers road speeds of around 70 km/h and an operating range of some 650 km, with similar in-and-out-of-action times. Both configurations integrate a digital fire-control system with GPS-aided inertial navigation, onboard ballistic computers and interfaces for modern battlefield management systems, allowing Archer to operate either as part of a networked fire support system or in a semi-autonomous mode when required.
From a development and operational perspective, Archer is a relatively mature solution. Sweden’s initial order, placed in 2010, led to deliveries of 48 Volvo-chassis systems between 2013 and 2022, which have since been used for national defence tasks and NATO-linked exercises. In 2023, Stockholm selected the HX2-based 8x8 configuration for its next generation of systems and awarded BAE Systems a contract for 48 new Archers valued at around USD 500 million, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2025. Sweden has also donated an increasing number of its existing systems to Ukraine, where they are reported to be in frontline use, and has sold 14 guns to the British Army as an interim capability to replace AS90 howitzers sent to Kyiv. These exports and donations mean that Archer is now operated or planned by Sweden, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and, following parliamentary approval of the current decision, Latvia, giving the platform a growing NATO and partner footprint and a larger user community for training and sustainment.
For Latvia, the tactical advantages over the current M109 fleet are considerable. Archer’s 52-calibre barrel and ability to fire advanced extended-range and precision munitions roughly double the effective range at which Latvian artillery can engage targets, extending coverage deep into potential adversary assembly areas and logistics nodes while allowing gun lines to remain further from the front. Automation reduces crew size from six on the M109 to three on Archer, decreases physical workload and shortens reaction times, which is crucial under modern counter-battery conditions where radar and drones can locate firing units within seconds. The shoot-and-scoot profile, firing a short, intense salvo and moving almost immediately, complicates adversary targeting and improves survivability. Wheeled 6x6 and 8x8 chassis also simplify road movement across Latvia’s relatively dense road network, support rapid redeployment between sectors, and ease maintenance compared with older tracked platforms. The planned joint Latvian–Swedish Archer 6x6 unit, which will train and exercise in Latvia and Sweden before national deliveries, will accelerate the build-up of qualified crews and allow Latvia to develop tactics informed by Swedish and British operational experience with the system.
The June 10, 2025, letter of intent signed between Latvia’s Ministry of Defence and Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) expressly refers to the future supply of 18 Archer 8×8 wheeled artillery systems to the Latvian National Armed Forces, setting the framework for a full intergovernmental agreement and signalling strong intent toward that specific configuration; the 8×8 variant, built on the Rheinmetall MAN HX2 tactical truck platform, is the current production standard selected by Sweden for its future fleet and therefore offers Latvia the most seamless path to interoperability, sustainment and logistics alignment with Swedish forces, robust high-mobility and strategic road range, and modern automated fire control and mobility characteristics that are crucial for rapid “shoot-and-scoot” operations in a Baltic operational context, making it the operationally preferred option over the legacy 6×6 model whose role in the bilateral cooperation is limited to interim training and familiarisation ahead of deliveries.
Beyond immediate battlefield performance, the acquisition has significant strategic implications. It ties Latvia more closely into the emerging Nordic–Baltic artillery architecture, where Estonia is fielding South Korean K9 Thunder howitzers and Lithuania operates German PzH 2000 systems and has ordered French Caesar Mk II guns. Within such a mix, Archer’s wheeled mobility, long range and precision ammunition compatibility fill a niche for rapid-reaction, road-mobile fires that can support both national forces and incoming NATO reinforcements. The decision also consolidates Latvia’s defence relationship with Sweden, now a fellow NATO ally, by creating a concrete, long-term cooperation framework encompassing training, logistics, doctrine and potential future upgrades to the system. Politically, the visible presence of Swedish Archer batteries on Latvian soil from 2026 will signal allied commitment to the defence of the Baltic region and contribute to deterrence by demonstrating credible, rapidly employable firepower anchored in a shared capability.
The exact value of the Latvian Archer package has not yet been disclosed, but several reference points indicate the order of magnitude. Sweden’s 2023 contract for 48 new 8x8 Archers was priced at around USD 500 million, implying a unit cost slightly above USD 10 million before ammunition, infrastructure and long-term support. Public reporting in Latvia suggests that approximately EUR 159 million has been earmarked in the 2026 defence budget for indirect fire support, covering mortars, missiles and howitzers, which is consistent with an Archer procurement accompanied by training, spares and possibly an ammunition package. The Latvian order will follow earlier export and aid decisions that sent Archer systems to the United Kingdom and Ukraine, but the final technical configuration of Latvia’s own systems will be confirmed only once the intergovernmental agreement is concluded. Combined with the previously signed letter of intent and the forthcoming defence cooperation roadmap, this underlines that Archer is not a stand-alone purchase but part of a broader, long-term investment in indirect fire capabilities and Nordic–Baltic defence integration.
The Cabinet’s approval of Archer wheeled self-propelled artillery systems from Sweden represents a qualitative transformation of Latvia’s artillery arm. By moving from legacy M109A5Oe tracked howitzers with limited range and high manpower requirements to a family of fully automated, long-range 6x6 and 8x8 systems, the National Armed Forces will gain the ability to deliver precise, high-volume fires quickly, survive in a contested sensor environment and integrate seamlessly with allied fire support networks. The combination of extended range, digital connectivity and joint Latvian–Swedish training gives Riga not only new equipment but also a pathway to modern artillery doctrine and tactics aligned with the most demanding NATO standards. As negotiations now turn this conceptual approval into a binding contract, Archer is set to become one of the cornerstones of Latvia’s land combat capability and a visible symbol of the country’s deepening military partnership with Sweden and the wider Nordic region.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.