Is the RCH 155 self-propelled wheeled howitzer for the British Army finally on the way?

The UK government is expected to sign for its order of Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) self-propelled guns (SPGs) before mid-2026, according to a spokesperson from prime contractor KNDS Germany. It is believed current delivery dates are 2029 to 2032.

Speaking to Shephard, the spokesperson said the system was being “proven through operations in Ukraine [but] can’t speak to lessons learned from these operations”.

The RCH 155 is based on the Boxer 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicle from ARTEC, a joint venture between KNDS, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and Rheinmetall Military Vehicles Nederland. It is fitted with a KNDS Germany Artillery Gun Module, a remotely operated turret armed with a 155mm/52cal cannon.

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The RCH 155 has an effective range of 40km with standard ammunition and out to 70km with Leonardo’s Vulcano guided long-range ammunition. It provides ‘fire on the move’ as well as traditional ‘shoot and scoot’ capability with the ability to fire nine rounds per minute.

The Boxer is modular and designed to fulfil a range of roles such as infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) as well personnel carrier, C2, ambulance, engineering and cargo vehicles.

With more than 2,000 systems in service, the Boxer is under contract in Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, the UK, Qatar, Australia and Ukraine.

An order for the British Army would be a substantial boost in the force’s artillery capability as at the moment this is provided by 14 BAE Systems Bofors Archer 6x6 155mm 52cal SPGs. This is seen as an interim capability pending delivery of RCH 155 and was to replace the AS90 155mm 39cal SPG artillery systems supplied to Ukraine.

UK needs artillery but Boxer may also help elsewhere

In December 2025, Germany placed an order for 84 RCH 155 under a deal worth approximately €1.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) which included training equipment, service and logistical support.

At the same time, the UK government announced it would receive a single Early Capability Demonstrator (ECD) RCH 155 as part of a joint-national £52 million (US$70 million) deal which would see two platforms go to Germany. The two countries will use the platforms for evaluation and will share test data and facilities.

In January this year, Rheinmetall said the first 155mm 52cal barrels are expected to roll out of its new gun hall at Telford, UK in 2027 as part of an investment in the country over the past few years of more than £150 million.

Rheinmetall stated: “The first UK-produced guns will be Rheinmetall’s 155mm 52cal in its PzH 2000 SPG version as well as for the latest version of RCH 155.”

The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment & Support then announced in March that a £53 million contract was awarded by European procurement agency OCCAR to ARTEC. This contract is for the long-lead production of 37 weapon systems for the UK’s RCH 155.

The contract specifically covers procurement of the weapon systems, also known as the ‘height adjustable mass’, comprising the barrel, muzzle brake, breech, recoil system and trunnions, which are the mounting points for attachment to the turret.

The programme for other variants of Boxer is also pushing ahead, supported by the opening of a new drive modules production line at KNDS’s Munich/Allach site in Germany in mid-April.

As part of industrial scaling measures, 10 Boxer drive modules per month will be produced in a line series production at this site alone. The new production line is part of a comprehensive package of measures aimed at producing six times as many Boxer systems by 2030 as before.

This acceleration of manufacture is built on a framework agreement with the German government for 500 RCH 155s which can be sold to other countries through government-to-government agreements.

In addition, there is strong potential for further sales as the platform is more widely demonstrated on the battlefield in the Russia-Ukraine war.

One of the platform types being used in Ukraine is the Boxer IFV, which Germany is also ordering. This platform may yet fill the need for the British Army’s requirement for an IFV, particularly since a tracked version has been developed.

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