Army orders £1bn of howitzers from German defence giant

The Army has ordered £1bn of howitzers from the German defence giant Rheinmetall as Britain upgrades its artillery systems.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed it had ordered 72 “next-generation” remote-controlled howitzers as the country undergoes a weaponry spending blitz.The RCH 155 howitzers fill a gap in the Army’s artillery system that emerged when Britain donated its entire fleet of AS90 artillery systems to Ukraine in 2023.Since then, the Army has been temporarily using the Swedish Archer artillery system as a stopgap.The MoD said the first RCH 155 vehicles will be delivered in 2028 and may be sent out to support Nato exercises and deployments such as in Estonia.The RCH 155s will be an upgrade to Britain’s defences as they move faster than the Archer system, reaching speeds of up to 60mph.Rheinmetall’s howitzers also have a greater range, with the ability to fire at targets up to 40 miles away and require just two soldiers to operate, compared to the four people needed to operate an Archer.The announcement comes as the Government pushes ahead with efforts to drive up defence spending.Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to raise defence investment to 3.5pc of GDP from just over 2pc. However, this is unlikely to be achieved until 2035. Sir Keir is expected to unveil a long-awaited defence investment plan in the coming days.The increase in funding for the military comes as Nato urges its ramp up defence spending amid a growing threat from Russia.John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said: “This major investment is defence delivering for the battlefield and for Britain’s economy.“By securing next-generation artillery with Germany, not only are we rearming to strengthen Nato against growing Russian aggression but also creating highly skilled jobs here in Britain.”The weapons system for the howitzers will be built at Rheinmetall’s factory in Telford, Shropshire, while the chassis and engine will be manufactured in Stockport, Greater Manchester, by KNDS, the European defence giant. The MoD has said the £1bn contract will support 500 jobs in Britain.Mr Healey added: “This is what we mean when we say defence is an engine for growth – investment in our security that powers new jobs across the country.”The British Army’s £1bn order from Rheinmetall comes after the UK and Germany signed the Trinity House agreement in 2024 aimed at boosting defence cooperation between the two countries.Boris Pistorius, the German defence minister, said: “This will deepen military cooperation in the long term and improve our operational readiness – for greater security in Europe.”Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has pledged to boost the nation’s defence spending next year as Europe rearms amid rising geopolitical tensions and threats from Russia.Last year Germany reformed its debt brake to allow for a rapid increase in funding for the military.Draft plans for next year’s Budget show that Germany is likely to spend 3.1pc of its GDP on defence in 2027.