The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence publicly announced on 13 May 2026 that it had placed a formal order for seventy-two RCH-155 wheeled self-propelled howitzers.
The RCH-155 will replace the AS-90 previously operated by the Royal Artillery and transferred to Ukraine. The contract was issued by Britain’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) with ARTEC GmbH, the joint venture between KNDS and Rheinmetall which manages the Boxer programme. The contract, which includes weapon systems, training, and support, has a value of nearly £1 billion (US$1.3 billion).
The RCH-155 is regarded as one of the most advanced self-propelled howitzers available today. It uses the Boxer 8 X 8 chassis, which is also in service with the British Army. The Boxer can swiftly traverse existing road networks and possesses excellent off-road capabilities, enabling rapid deployment of equipped forces. With similar mobility, the RCH-155 can keep pace with its supported manoeuvre units. The system features an unmanned turret that accommodates a crew of two. It is equipped with the Rheinmetall 155 mm L/52 artillery gun. It has a maximum range of 30 km with conventional ammunition, 40 km using base bleed, and over 50 km with Volcano rounds. It can fire up to eight rounds per minute, including accurate fire while on the move and Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact firing.
Execution of the contract will involve a substantial portion of the work being carried out in the UK. The barrel, breech, recoil system, and trunnions will be manufactured at Rheinmetall’s large-calibre systems facility in Telford, UK.
A new Gun Hall facility is set to be established by 2027 to produce artillery and tank barrels. Steel will be supplied by Britain’s Sheffield Forgemasters. The BOXER chassis, engine, and transmission will be manufactured at the KNDS UK facility in Stockport.
The RCH-155 is already in service with systems in Ukraine and has order commitments from Germany and the Netherlands. The Royal Artillery is scheduled to start receiving its production RCH-155s in 2028. Additional orders are expected from these nations, along with strong potential from other armies.
by Stephen W. Miller
