Rheinmetall to Manufacture Weapon Systems for UK’s 72 RCH 155 Artillery Vehicles
Rheinmetall has secured a major contract to supply the weapon systems for the United Kingdom’s fleet of 72 Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 (RCH 155) platforms procured earlier this year.
The three-digit-million-euro agreement includes the production and delivery of 72 elevating masses, onboard equipment, and associated support services. Manufacturing activities will be undertaken at Rheinmetall’s newly commissioned gun production facility in Telford, UK.
As previously announced, the program will incorporate British steel sourced from Sheffield Forgemasters, supporting around 100 jobs in Telford while creating approximately 300 additional employment opportunities throughout the UK’s defense supply chain.
The RCH 155 program follows ARTEC’s award of a contract valued at nearly £1 billion (US$1.35 billion). ARTEC, a joint venture between KNDS and Rheinmetall, is responsible for delivering the artillery systems, with first deliveries scheduled for 2028 and an initial deployable capability targeted before 2030.
The acquisition supports the British Army’s Mobile Fires Platform initiative, intended to replace the legacy AS-90 155mm self-propelled artillery fleet. After donating 32 AS-90 howitzers to Ukraine in 2023, the UK strengthened its artillery capability through the purchase of 14 Archer wheeled artillery systems while pursuing a long-term replacement.
Advanced RCH 155 Capability
Built on the Boxer 8×8 armored platform, the RCH 155 features an unmanned, fully automated turret based on the proven Panzerhaubitze 2000 artillery system.
The platform is operated by a two-member crew from within a protected armored cabin. Weighing approximately 39 tons, it can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph), allowing rapid movement and enhanced protection against counterfire threats.
Rheinmetall states that the RCH 155 is the only turreted howitzer capable of conducting accurate fire missions while in motion, thanks to advanced stabilization technology derived from modern main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
Its automated turret carries 30 pre-fuzed shells and 144 modular propellant charges—approximately 50% more ammunition than standard truck-mounted artillery platforms—and is capable of firing up to eight rounds per minute at targets exceeding 70 kilometers (42 miles) in range.
