The Bofors Haubits FH77 is a 155-mm field howitzer in service with the Swedish Army from 1978 to the present. It was designed and developed by the Swedish firm Bofors in the 1970s to replace the French Obusier de 155-mm modèle 50. It has a low maintenance cost and a high rate of fire, with 4 rounds per 9 seconds, higher than the American M777 Howitzer's rate of fire, which is 4 rounds per minute. This Swedish howitzer has also a longer maximum range. India bought 410 howitzers, from which the Dhanush was developed by the Indian Ordnance Factory Board.
The Bofors Haubits FH77 is still one of the world's most advanced towed field artillery piece, made with high-quality steel. It is fitted with a unique vertical sliding block breech. It has an on-mount auxiliary power unit (APU) that gives the system its self-propelled capability and supplies power to the hydraulically supported operations, making it easy to handle. This weapon also has the unique advantage of having a fully integrated land navigation system that gives the coordinates of the gun position and automatic alignment of the barrel. A total of 720 units were built in two versions: FH77-A and -B.
The FH77-B is now integrated with a 6x6 all-terrain vehicle making it an extremely powerful, highly mobile artillery system. Its into-action time is less than 50 seconds. An artillery sequence: into action; fire 8 rounds; out of action and move 500 m takes less than 3 minutes. The gun has a range of 30 km, it can fire 3 rounds within 13 s and a has sustained rate of fire of 8 rounds/minute. On the move the gun crew is transported in an armoured cabin. The on-mount ammunition boxes, in effect magazines, have the same level of protection as the crew compartment. The FH77 B has its own land navigation system, eliminating surveying and alignment and the complete system has very low LCC.
Specifications
Type: towed field howitzer
Weight: 11.5 tons
Caliber: 155-mm
Shell: 42-kg High Explosive (HE)
Barrel Length: L/38 (5.89 m or 19 feet and 4 inches)
Breech: vertical sliding block
Carriage: split trail, with castor wheels.
Elevation: -5 to +70 degrees.
Traverse: 30 degrees, left of right of center line
Rate of Fire: 4 rounds in 9 seconds
Maximum Range: 30 km (20 miles)
Muzzle Velocity: 770 m/s
Crew: 12 men
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| Two FH77 howitzers during military exercises in Sweden. |
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| HE 155-mm artillery shells |
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