TechBritish Army to retire AS90 artillery early, Uncertain Future Looms

British Army to retire AS90 artillery early, Uncertain Future Looms

Armatohaubica AS90

Images source: © No need for translation, as the source text is already in English., Mod.uk | Sgt Si Longworth RLC (Phot)

Norbert Garbarek

15 May 2024 07:11

Great Britain conducted its last training firing with the AS90 self-propelled guns at the beginning of May 2024 – a weapon that is one of the precursors of the Polish AHS Krab. Soon, the British Army plans to retire this equipment, and their future is yet to be decided.

For a few weeks now, the British have been stating that they plan to abandon many of the weapons used by their army. The list includes Challenger 2 tanks, various smaller armoured vehicles, and the valuable AS90 self-propelled artillery systems for the Ukrainians. These recently performed their last training shooting, and in the coming months, the equipment will be written off as a loss.

Weapons to be retired earlier than expected

Defense Express reports that the withdrawal of the mentioned guns was initially planned for 2030, "but in reality, it will happen a few years earlier." Analysts assume that the British will now use the AS90 to support their contingent's mission in Estonia as part of NATO missions. This means that the British "fathers of the Crab" may leave the army ranks at the beginning of 2025.

To date, the fate of the British AS90s remains unknown. Portal ZBiAM, whose calculations Defense Express refers to, reports that there may currently be 30 AS90 systems remaining in the British army. This is because Britain recently transferred 50 machines to Ukraine, and another 12 units went to the defenders' army as a source of spare parts.

"It seems equally likely that the British will simply store the AS90 vehicles and that these vehicles will be passed on to the Ukrainian armed forces," we read. Additional AS90 howitzers would undoubtedly be a desired support for the Ukrainians – especially in light of how intensively the defenders' army uses this equipment.

The precursor to the AHS Krab, the AS90 Howitzer

Where does the British weapon AS90 get designated as the "father of the Crab"? This is due to the same turret and gun in the Polish machine found in the AS90. When building the Crab, the Poles decided to use the British design as a donor for the turret system – our domestic equipment thus shares one of the essential elements with the British in terms of this category of vehicles. It is worth noting that the chassis of the AHS Krab is the Korean K9.

The British used the AS90 howitzers for about 30 years, as the first units were delivered to the army in 1992. The equipment is powered by a Cummins VTA 903T-660 diesel engine, which generates about 650 HP and accelerates the AS90 to a speed of almost 60 km/h. Meanwhile, a full 750-litre fuel tank guarantees a slightly over 350 km range.

The defensive capabilities of the AS90 are provided by a 39-calibre barrel of 155 mm calibre located in the crewed turret. The British weapon's projectiles can reach a distance of about 25 km. However, this range can be increased using a rocket booster, where the ammunition's range reaches about 30 km. In one minute, the AS90 barrel can fire a maximum of six projectiles, and in intense firing mode, it can even manage 3 shots in 10 seconds.