UK to Buy 72 German-Designed RCH 155 Howitzers for Nearly £1bn to Replace Donated AS90s

The British Army is to receive 72 RCH 155 Remote Controlled Howitzers under a contract worth nearly £1 billion awarded by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation to ARTEC GmbH on behalf of the British Army. ARTEC GmbH is a joint enterprise between KNDS and Rheinmetall. The procurement includes initial training and ongoing in-service support.

The deal fulfils the Trinity House Agreement between Britain and Germany. " He added that by securing next-generation artillery with Germany the programme would strengthen Nato against growing Russian aggression while creating highly skilled jobs in Britain.

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

The BOXER chassis will be produced by KNDS UK at its Stockport facility. British steel supplied by Sheffield Forgemasters will be utilised in the production. Sheffield Forgemasters employs 720 skilled staff and received over £420 million in Government funding last year.

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 RCH 155 howitzer can strike targets up to 70 kilometres away and has a firing rate of eight rounds per minute. It achieves redeployment speeds reaching 100 kilometres per hour.

The RCH 155 turret is operated through a push-button system from within the crew compartment and only two soldiers are required to operate the platform. Initial deliveries of the RCH 155 vehicles are scheduled to arrive in 2028. Earlier contracts totalled £105 million, comprising a £52 million Early Capability Demonstrator agreement signed in December 2025 and a £53 million Long Lead Item procurement finalised earlier this year.

Those contracts enabled the establishment of Rheinmetall's large calibre gun manufacturing facility in Telford. The new RCH 155 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.

GB News reported the full details of the procurement. 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. " He described the contract as the first significant milestone in replenishing that capability through collaboration with Germany.