British Army to be equipped with 72 new long-range guns capable of hitting targets more than 40 MILES away

The British Army is set to receive 72 advanced howitzers under a contract worth nearly £1 billion.

The Remote Controlled Howitzers, designated RCH 155, possess the capability to strike targets positioned up to 70 kilometres away—more than 43 miles—whilst maintaining a firing rate of eight rounds per minute.

The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation has awarded the contract to ARTEC GmbH, a joint enterprise between KNDS and Rheinmetall, acting on behalf of the British Army.

The procurement includes provisions for initial training and ongoing in-service support for the new artillery systems.

The deal represents the fulfilment of the Trinity House Agreement, enhancing defence cooperation between Britain and Germany whilst bolstering interoperability amongst Allied forces.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: "This major investment is defence delivering for the battlefield and for Britain's economy.

"By securing next-generation artillery with Germany, not only are we rearming to strengthen Nato against growing Russian aggression but also creating highly skilled jobs here in Britain."

"This is what we mean when we say defence is an engine for growth investment in our security that powers new jobs across the country."

Manufacturing of critical weapon components, including the barrel, breech, recoil system and trunnions, will take place at Rheinmetall's large-calibre production site in Telford.

The BOXER chassis—comprising the drive module, engine and drive train upon which the weapon system is mounted—will be produced by KNDS UK at its Stockport facility.

British steel supplied by Sheffield Forgemasters will be utilised in the production, supporting the UK Steel Strategy.

Sheffield Forgemasters, which employs 720 skilled staff and manufactures specialist steel parts for defence programmes, received over £420million in Government funding last year.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Doctor who spent SIX-FIGURES over a bridleway dispute argues ECHR breach in latest legal bid
• Farmers fear for livestock as Britain's largest bird of prey to be released in Exmoor
• Tickets for Marxism event dubbed 'UK's biggest left-wing festival' cost more than average day's work

The programme is anticipated to generate 100 new skilled positions at the Telford site, sustain 100 jobs in Stockport, and support 300 additional roles throughout the broader UK supply chain.

The artillery system is mounted upon a BOXER chassis and demonstrates remarkable mobility, achieving redeployment speeds reaching 100 kilometres per hour.

This rapid movement capability makes the platform considerably more difficult for enemy forces to locate and target.

Advanced automation technology enables operation of the turret through a push-button system housed within the crew compartment.

Only two soldiers are required to operate the platform, a significant reduction in personnel requirements compared with conventional artillery systems.

Initial deliveries of the RCH 155 vehicles are scheduled to arrive in 2028, establishing a minimal deployable capability before the decade's conclusion.

The main procurement follows earlier contracts totalling £105 million—comprising a £52million Early Capability Demonstrator agreement signed in December 2025 and a £53million Long Lead Item procurement finalised earlier this year—which enabled the establishment of Rheinmetall's large calibre gun manufacturing facility in Telford.

The new howitzers will replace AS90 artillery systems that were donated to Ukraine in 2023.

An interim capability has been provided by the Archer artillery system, which will remain in service until the RCH 155 becomes operational.

Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lt Gen Simon Hamilton CBE, said: "Britain answered the call for aid by providing artillery systems to Ukraine at the outbreak of the war.

"We knew the risk the gap in our warfighting capability that this would present.

"The success of bringing the RCH 155 onto contract to develop our 155mm Close Support Artillery requirement, in collaboration with Germany, marks the first significant milestone in replenishing this capability.

"We are grateful to the National Armaments Director, our industry partners and our own programme teams for the fantastic work which they have done to bring this to fruition and look forward to our continued work with our German allies."