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FH77 Haubits

1978 COLD WAR MODERN

History

After the NATO standardization of the 155mm gun, which the West saw as the best balance between range and firepower (the Soviet Union went the 152mm route), several national powers turned to local solutions. For the Swedes, this became the FH77 "Haubits", a towed field howitzer, introduced in 1978 and currently (2018) in service with the armies of Sweden, Nigeria and India (reportedly via Singapore and Iran) . Between 1979 and 1984, the Swedish army acquired around 220 of these fine artillery pieces.

India did better, stocking 410 units from 1986 to 1991, although only about 200 were still in use at the time of writing (2018).

Design work on the FH77 was carried out by the long-established Swedish group Bofors in 1978 and was quickly put into production after testing and evaluation. The product has a total weight of 25,400 pounds and measures 38 feet long and 31.10 feet wide. The barrel is 19.3 feet long.

The operations team consists of 9 to 14 employees, each assigned to a specific task within the weapons function.

The weapon fires standard NATO 155mm projectiles in various forms - high explosive (HE), illumination and smoke are typical. Projectiles are semi-solid ammunition with propellant contained in a plastic casing with a steel head.

The breech of this weapon is accessible through a vertically sliding breech mechanism, and the projectile is struck by a hydraulic component ("Flick Rammer").

The slide is a standard two-wheeled split system, and the trailing arm doubles as a recoil assist when the gun is ready. A special recoil mechanism under the barrel also helps to delay some violent recoil. The barrel is also covered with a heavily perforated muzzle brake for increased recoil absorption.

The carriage section also has a Volvo-supplied auxiliary power unit (APU) that allows the rifle crew to move their guns over short distances if necessary (otherwise usually a Scania SBA111 moving vehicle or similar). The FH77 is famously the first modern artillery piece of this quality (since replicated worldwide).

Mounting hardware allows an elevation range of -5 to +70 degrees. The barrel is 30 degrees to the left or right of the centerline laterally from its mounting surface.

The capabilities of this battlefield component include an effective range of up to 13 miles with standard (non-rocket-assisted) ammunition and a maximum range of 15 miles. The weapon can fire at a rate of four rounds per nine seconds and can sustain three rounds per minute for up to twenty minutes.

The muzzle velocity of each bullet is as high as 2,530 feet per second.

Since entering service, the FH77 has appeared in two main production forms, the FH77A and the FH77B. The Model A represents the original production form for the Swedish Army and features a gasoline powered Volvo APU system and a /38 caliber barrel measurement.

The B model is the export version with a Mercedes diesel APU system and /39 caliber barrel gauge.

Model B is also used as the main gun for the FH77B "Archer" wheeled self-propelled artillery platform (detailed elsewhere on this page). The weapons are the legacy of another 48 Indian FH77B units that were transferred to the Swedish army following the Bofors scandal involving Indian government officials.