15-02-2017, 14:40

Hello, dear fans of bushy gameplay, the site is with you! Friends, now we will talk about one of the most interesting and unique cars in our favorite game, tank destroyers of the fifth level of Great Britain are Archer guide.

Of course, many have already guessed that the uniqueness of this device lies primarily in its design features. The car has a faster reverse gear, that is, it drives backwards, while the rotating wheelhouse has a trunk Archer World of Tanks look in the direction opposite to the movement. However, let's move on to analyzing the parameters of the British woman and get to know her better.

TTX Archer

First of all, I would like to say that this self-propelled gun received a small margin of safety at its disposal, but the base viewing radius of 360 meters is almost the best indicator among all PT-5s.

If we talk about the survival of this machine, then in this regard it has both frankly weak side, and very strong. First of all, at archer characteristics reservations are terribly weak. No matter how you stand, absolutely everything will pierce you into any projection, and large land mines will leave only caterpillars in place of our self-propelled gun.

The bright side of the coin can rightfully be considered the masking coefficient. british pt- ACS Archer WOT has a rather low silhouette, due to which a decent level of stealth is achieved. But you must understand that we have a decent hull length, especially if you want to hide from someone.

In terms of driving characteristics, everything is also not very good. Riding backwards is more of a tank feature, but the bottom line is that maximum speed at Archer World of Tanks weak, the number of horsepower per ton of weight gives one of the worst dynamics among classmates, but we are spinning in place perky.

gun

As always, the armament of the tank should be given special attention, but I want to say right away that in our case the gun practically does not have any pronounced pluses or minuses, however, in aggregate its parameters are good.

So, for starters, Archer gun has a small, but rather even average alpha strike by the standards of classmates, which is supported by a good rate of fire, which in total gives a good figure of 1915 damage per minute.

Penetration parameters tank Archer World of Tanks has not a record, but at the same time very high for its level. This suggests that we will feel confident even in battles at the bottom of the list, and only for the thickest targets should we carry 10-15 sub-calibers with us. In addition, you must understand that our ammunition load is small, which means you need to dispose of it wisely.

With the characteristics of accuracy, the situation is repeated. The dispersion of our gun is compact, but it could be better, however, the same can be said about moderately fast aiming, but the stabilization of Tank Destroyer Archer weak.

The last thing worth mentioning in terms of weapons is the angles of vertical and horizontal aiming. Down the cannon bends mediocrely, only 7.5 degrees, but this is quite enough, especially if we take into account the so-called rear location of the cabin. But the horizontal aiming angles, which Archer WoT in total equal to 45 degrees leave no doubt about the comfort of firing.

Advantages and disadvantages

Against the background of the analysis of the characteristics of the tank and its guns, you can get a general impression of this unit. But in order to properly equip it and deal with the tactics of warfare, it is better to highlight the most significant advantages and disadvantages Archer World of Tanks separately.
Pros:
A great basic overview;
Decent disguise;
Good alpha strike and high DPM;
High penetration rates;
Excellent horizontal aiming angles.
Minuses:
Very poor booking;
Small margin of safety;
Mediocre mobility;
Average accuracy;
Small ammunition.

Equipment for Archer

In order to avoid mistakes in the issue of buying and installing additional modules, it is better to look at the list of the pros and cons of the machine, and set priorities against the background of the information received. In our case tank archer equipment it is better to set according to the following principle:
1. - will make the already existing good damage per minute even higher, which will undoubtedly have a good effect on your stay in battle.
2. - another way to improve the accuracy of the gun by installing additional equipment no, but it needs to be improved, so the choice is obvious.
3. - in positional play, this module will immediately give us maximum visibility, which means that in 99% of cases you will have the right to fire the first shot, which is also very important.

However, there is a good alternative to the kit above, while the second paragraph is replaced by. The bottom line is that our accuracy is already quite good, besides, it can still be slightly improved with perks, and increasing disguise will have a good effect on your survivability.

Crew training

By upgrading the skills of the crew members, you can achieve even greater comfort in battle, because there are more opportunities here. The main thing is not to make mistakes, because it will take a lot of time and effort to correct them, so for Tank destroyers Archer perks Let's learn in this order:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Loader (radio operator) - , , , .

Equipment for Archer

The choice and purchase of consumables can be treated less pedantically, and if you do not have enough silver reserves, the usual set of , , will suffice. However, situations in battle are very different, sometimes every little thing plays a huge role, so it’s better to carry on archer gear in the form,,, and in view of the fact that our British woman rarely burns, the fire extinguisher can be replaced with.

Tactics of the game on Archer

When playing on this unit, you should always remember about its small margin of safety, very weak armor, and, of course, specific control. These three nuances certainly lead us to the fact that on Archer tactics conducting will be classic in the understanding of many lovers of tank destroyers, that is, cluster.

To realize the potential of this self-propelled gun, namely, its guns with high damage per minute, good accuracy and excellent penetration, you must be able to fire freely and safely. For this on Archer World of Tanks it is better to take a beautiful sprawling bush somewhere away from the first line, think about how to have a good backlash of the main key positions and constantly shoot at the allied light.

However, remember that the whole fight to stand in one place, firstly, is unsafe, and secondly, it is ineffective. That is british tank archer must periodically change its location, depending on the situation, look for more advantageous and successful positions, but do this with extreme caution.

Last but not least, be careful. Close combat is strictly contraindicated for our Briton, and as soon as you get into the light and see that the enemy is aiming at you, you need to hide as quickly as possible. In such situations Tank Destroyer Archer WoT should leave as soon as possible dangerous place, hide from everyone, including artoo, until it disappears from the light. Accordingly, you can’t let anyone near you, in many cases it will help you great review, powerful cannon and good disguise.

15-02-2017, 14:40

Hello, dear fans of bushy gameplay, the site is with you! Friends, now we will talk about one of the most interesting and unique vehicles in our favorite game, tank destroyers of the fifth level of Great Britain - this Archer guide.

Of course, many have already guessed that the uniqueness of this device lies primarily in its design features. The car has a faster reverse gear, that is, it drives backwards, while the rotating wheelhouse has a trunk Archer World of Tanks look in the direction opposite to the movement. However, let's move on to analyzing the parameters of the British woman and get to know her better.

TTX Archer

First of all, I would like to say that this self-propelled gun received a small margin of safety at its disposal, but the base viewing radius of 360 meters is almost the best indicator among all the PT-5s.

If we talk about the survival of this machine, then in this regard it has both a frankly weak side and a very strong one. First of all, at archer characteristics reservations are terribly weak. No matter how you stand, absolutely everything will pierce you into any projection, and large land mines will leave only caterpillars in place of our self-propelled gun.

The bright side of the coin can rightfully be considered the masking coefficient. British tank destroyer Archer WoT has a rather low silhouette, due to which a decent level of stealth is achieved. But you must understand that we have a decent hull length, especially if you want to hide from someone.

In terms of driving characteristics, everything is also not very good. Driving backwards is more of a tank feature, but the bottom line is that the maximum speed Archer World of Tanks weak, the number of horsepower per ton of weight gives one of the worst dynamics among classmates, but we are spinning in place perky.

gun

As always, the armament of the tank should be given special attention, but I want to say right away that in our case the gun practically does not have any pronounced pluses or minuses, however, in aggregate its parameters are good.

So, for starters, Archer gun has a small, but rather even average alpha strike by the standards of classmates, which is supported by a good rate of fire, which in total gives a good figure of 1915 damage per minute.

Penetration parameters tank Archer World of Tanks has not a record, but at the same time very high for its level. This suggests that we will feel confident even in battles at the bottom of the list, and only for the thickest targets should we carry 10-15 sub-calibers with us. In addition, you must understand that our ammunition load is small, which means you need to dispose of it wisely.

With the characteristics of accuracy, the situation is repeated. The dispersion of our gun is compact, but it could be better, however, the same can be said about moderately fast aiming, but the stabilization of Tank Destroyer Archer weak.

The last thing worth mentioning in terms of weapons is the angles of vertical and horizontal aiming. Down the cannon bends mediocrely, only 7.5 degrees, but this is quite enough, especially if we take into account the so-called rear location of the cabin. But the horizontal aiming angles, which Archer WoT in total equal to 45 degrees leave no doubt about the comfort of firing.

Advantages and disadvantages

Against the background of the analysis of the characteristics of the tank and its guns, you can get a general impression of this unit. But in order to properly equip it and deal with the tactics of warfare, it is better to highlight the most significant advantages and disadvantages Archer World of Tanks separately.
Pros:
Excellent basic overview;
Decent disguise;
Good alpha strike and high DPM;
High penetration rates;
Excellent horizontal aiming angles.
Minuses:
Very poor booking;
Small margin of safety;
Mediocre mobility;
Average accuracy;
Small ammunition.

Equipment for Archer

In order to avoid mistakes in the issue of buying and installing additional modules, it is better to look at the list of the pros and cons of the machine, and set priorities against the background of the information received. In our case tank archer equipment it is better to set according to the following principle:
1. - will make the already existing good damage per minute even higher, which will undoubtedly have a good effect on your stay in battle.
2. - there is no other way to improve the accuracy of the gun by installing additional equipment, but it needs to be improved, so the choice is obvious.
3. - in positional play, this module will immediately give us maximum visibility, which means that in 99% of cases you will have the right to fire the first shot, which is also very important.

However, there is a good alternative to the kit above, while the second paragraph is replaced by. The bottom line is that our accuracy is already quite good, besides, it can still be slightly improved with perks, and increasing disguise will have a good effect on your survivability.

Crew training

By upgrading the skills of the crew members, you can achieve even greater comfort in battle, because there are more opportunities here. The main thing is not to make mistakes, because it will take a lot of time and effort to correct them, so for Tank destroyers Archer perks Let's learn in this order:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Loader (radio operator) - , , , .

Equipment for Archer

The choice and purchase of consumables can be treated less pedantically, and if you do not have enough silver reserves, the usual set of , , will suffice. However, situations in battle are very different, sometimes every little thing plays a huge role, so it’s better to carry on archer equipment in the form,,, and in view of the fact that our British woman rarely burns, the fire extinguisher can be replaced with.

Tactics of the game on Archer

When playing on this unit, you should always remember about its small margin of safety, very weak armor, and, of course, specific control. These three nuances certainly lead us to the fact that on Archer tactics conducting will be classic in the understanding of many lovers of tank destroyers, that is, cluster.

To realize the potential of this self-propelled gun, namely, its guns with high damage per minute, good accuracy and excellent penetration, you must be able to fire freely and safely. For this on Archer World of Tanks it is better to take a beautiful sprawling bush somewhere away from the first line, think about how to have a good backlash of the main key positions and constantly shoot at the allied light.

However, remember that the whole fight to stand in one place, firstly, is unsafe, and secondly, it is ineffective. That is British Archer tank must periodically change its location, depending on the situation, look for more advantageous and successful positions, but do this with extreme caution.

Last but not least, be careful. Close combat is strictly contraindicated for our Briton, and as soon as you get into the light and see that the enemy is aiming at you, you need to hide as quickly as possible. In such situations Tank Destroyer Archer WoT must leave the dangerous place as soon as possible, hide from everyone, including artu, until it disappears from the light. Accordingly, you can’t let anyone in, in many cases excellent visibility, a powerful gun and good camouflage will help you with this.

On September 23, a long-awaited event took place in Sweden. The Ministry of Defense Procurement Office (Försvarets Materielverk) received the first batch of FH77BW L52 Archer (“Archer”) self-propelled howitzers on a wheeled chassis. Four new combat vehicles have been put into service under the name Artillerisystem 08. In about a year, the Swedish military department intends to receive a second batch of self-propelled artillery installations consisting of 20 vehicles. In addition, 24 self-propelled guns for Norway will be built in the near future.

The long-awaited transfer of self-propelled guns to the customer turned out to be due to a number of technical problems. In accordance with the first contracts signed during development, the Archer self-propelled guns were supposed to join the Swedish armed forces back in 2011. However, during the testing of prototypes, some shortcomings were identified, the correction of which took certain time. As a result, the first batch, consisting of only four pre-production combat vehicles, was handed over to the customer only in September 2013. In the future, the Swedish army will receive serial equipment.

Separately, it is necessary to note the situation with artillery in the Swedish army, which has developed as a result of the failure to deliver the Archer self-propelled guns. Currently, in the armed forces of Sweden, artillery is represented only by the 9th artillery regiment, consisting of two divisions. By the end of 2011, due to the exhaustion of the resource, all available towed 155-mm howitzers Bofors FH77B were decommissioned, due to which the Swedish armed forces completely lost any field artillery. Initially, it was assumed that the new Archer self-propelled guns would replace towed howitzers, but the problems that accompanied the creation of self-propelled guns thwarted the implementation of these plans, and as a result, for almost two years, the Swedish army did not have any artillery.

The project to develop a promising self-propelled artillery mount started in 1995. In accordance with the terms of reference, the executing organization was to develop an ACS armed with a modified FH77B howitzer of 155 mm caliber. The customer demanded to improve the characteristics of the gun by increasing the length of the barrel. The result of the modernization of the howitzer was the modification of the FH77BW with a 52-caliber barrel. It was such a tool that should have been used in the new self-propelled guns. In addition, customer requirements implied the use of a wheeled chassis.

The preliminary stage of the project took several years. Only in 2003, the Swedish Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Bofors. This document provided for the completion of the project and the subsequent construction of serial self-propelled guns. In 2005, the first prototypes of a promising self-propelled guns were built. Tests of self-propelled guns began after the transformation of Bofors into BAE Systems Bofors.

The Volvo A30D with a 6x6 wheel arrangement was chosen as the chassis for the new self-propelled artillery mount. The chassis is equipped with a 340 horsepower diesel engine, which allows the combat vehicle to reach speeds of up to 65 km / h on the highway. As stated, the wheeled chassis can move through the snow up to one meter deep. If the wheels are damaged, including during an explosion, the Archer self-propelled guns are capable of continuing to move for some time.

An interesting feature of the Archer ACS chassis is the applied architecture. The A30D is articulated for improved maneuverability. In front of the chassis, above the first axle and up to the articulation unit, there is an engine compartment and a cockpit. The engine and crew are covered with bulletproof armor corresponding to level 2 of the NATO STANAG 4569 standard. There are jobs for three or four crew members in the cockpit. Depending on the nature of the operation being performed, the crew may have one or two weapon operators. The driver and commander are present in the crew at all times. On the roof of the cockpit there is a place to install a remote-controlled Protector turret with a machine gun.

On the rear module of the articulated chassis are all the units of the gun. Above the rear axle of the chassis are mechanisms for lifting and turning the gun turret. The gun is aimed by turning and raising the entire turret. Self-propelled guns allow you to direct the gun vertically in the range of angles from 0° to +70°. Due to the characteristics of the wheeled chassis, the horizontal aiming angles are limited: the Archer can fire at targets in the forward sector with a width of 150 ° (75 ° to the right and left of the axis). To stabilize the machine during firing, a double outrigger is used in the rear of the chassis. In the stowed position, the gun module rotates to the neutral position, lowering the howitzer barrel into a special tray covered with covers. Base vehicle dimensions required to apply interesting solution. Thus, when converting ACS into stowed position the recoil devices of the gun move the barrel to its rearmost position, which allows it to be placed in the existing tray.

Wheeled self-propelled guns Archer has enough large sizes. The maximum length of the combat vehicle exceeds 14 meters, width - 3 meters. Without the use of the Protector turret, the height of the self-propelled gun is 3.3 meters, and after installing this combat module increases by about 60 cm. Combat weight ACS Archer does not exceed 30 tons. The dimensions and weight of the FH77BW L52 self-propelled artillery mount allow it to be transported across railway. In the future, it is planned to use military transport aircraft Airbus A400M.

During combat work, the crew of the Archer self-propelled guns is constantly at their workplaces and does not leave them. All operations are performed by commands from the control panels. In this regard, all mechanisms of the gun turret operate in automatic mode. The main elements of the turret equipment are the loading mechanisms. According to reports, instead of unified system Archer self-propelled gun uses two mechanisms interacting with each other. One of them delivers 155-mm shells. The capacity of mechanized stacking is 21 shells. The second loading system operates with propellant charges supplied in the form of cylindrical blocks with a combustible shell, resembling a charging cap. In the laying of the Archer self-propelled turret, 126 blocks with a propellant charge are placed. When using a transport-loading vehicle with a cargo crane, it takes about eight minutes to fully load the ammunition load.

Depending on the task, the crew of the FH77BA L52 Archer self-propelled howitzer can increase or decrease total propellant mixture by changing the number of charges placed in the gun. At the maximum number propelling charges self-propelled howitzer Archer capable of sending a projectile to a target at a distance of up to 30 kilometers. The use of active-reactive or guided munitions increases the firing range to 60 km. The latter is declared for the Excalibur guided projectile. The Archer self-propelled guns can fire direct fire, but in this case, the effective firing range does not exceed two kilometers.

Gun loading mechanisms provide a rate of fire of up to 8-9 rounds per minute. If necessary, the crew of the self-propelled gun can fire in the MRSI mode (the so-called flurry of fire), firing six shots in a short time. A salvo of 21 shots (full ammunition) takes no more than three minutes. When developing the Archer self-propelled guns, the need to reduce the time to prepare for firing and leave the position was taken into account. As a result, part of the preparations for firing a self-propelled gun can still be carried out on the way to the position. Thanks to this, the first shot is fired already 30 seconds after stopping in desired point route. During this time, the outrigger is lowered and the tower is brought into combat position. After completing the fire mission, the crew transfers combat vehicle to the stowed position and leaves the position. It also takes about 30 seconds to prepare to leave the position.

ACS FH77BW L52 Archer is equipped with a modern digital fire control system. Electronic equipment and systems associated with it allow the crew to carry out all the necessary operations without leaving their workplaces. In addition, automation takes on some of the important actions related to preparing for firing: determining the coordinates of the self-propelled guns, calculating the required pointing angles and firing according to the MRSI algorithm. When using an Excalibur guided projectile or similar, the automation prepares the ammunition for firing.

As already mentioned, the first serial Archer self-propelled guns were supposed to be delivered to the troops back in 2011. However, during development, some problems appeared related to a number of applied systems. It took several years to eliminate the shortcomings, which ultimately led to the failure of the deadlines. Even during testing and refinement, the first contracts for the supply of serial combat vehicles were signed. In 2008, Sweden ordered eight new self-propelled guns, Norway - one. A few months later, the Scandinavian states decided to co-finance the project. In accordance with the 2009 contract, BAE Systems Bofors is to supply two countries with 24 self-propelled artillery mounts each.

Negotiations are ongoing regarding possible export contracts. ACS Archer interested the military from Denmark and Canada. These states are negotiating the supply of a certain number of combat vehicles. It is known that Denmark can acquire no more than two dozen self-propelled guns. Until recently, there were negotiations with Croatia. This country was going to buy at least 24 FH77BW L52 self-propelled guns to replace aging Soviet-made equipment. However economic problems prevented Croatia from acquiring Swedish combat vehicles. As a result of lengthy comparisons and negotiations, the Croatian armed forces decided to buy 18 used PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers from Germany. Delivery of purchased self-propelled guns will begin in 2014.

Combat and performance characteristics make the FH77BW L52 Archer a worthy representative of its class military equipment. However, some technical solutions applied in the project, at one time led to several difficulties. All this could negatively affect the reputation of the project. Due to the difficulties in developing the Archer self-propelled guns, the Swedish army was left without field artillery for quite a long time, and several months remain before the start of mass deliveries of new self-propelled guns. It should be noted that even before series production self-propelled gun Archer attracted attention potential buyers represented by third countries. It is quite possible that new contracts for the supply of self-propelled guns will be signed in the very near future.

According to the websites:
http://baesystems.com/
http://militaryparitet.com/
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/
http://army-guide.com/
http://globalsecurity.org/

09:15
09/15/2019

10:30
08/23/2019

13:55

13:14
08/22/2019

10:22
08/20/2019

Self-propelled howitzer 155-mm Archer (Sweden)

The development of a new self-propelled artillery mount FH77 BW L52 Archer began in 1995. In 2003, the Swedish Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Bofors Defense, which is part of the SAAB group of companies, to create and produce new systems. The first prototypes were developed in 2005. The contract stated that the first samples of the machine should be delivered to the Swedish army in 2011. But due to some shortcomings that were identified during scheduled tests, and which took some time to correct, the first pre-production systems were transferred only at the end of 2013. It is expected that at the end of 2014 the Swedish army will receive all the other self-propelled guns.

self-propelled artillery mount The FH77 BW L52 was based on the FH77 towed gun, which proved to be excellent. Therefore, it is not surprising that FH77 was included in the name of the installation.

The Archer self-propelled guns use the chassis of a Volvo A30D with a 6x6 wheel arrangement. A diesel engine with a capacity of 340 horsepower is installed on the chassis, which allows you to reach speeds on the highway up to 65 km / h. It is worth noting that the wheeled chassis can move through snow up to one meter deep. If the wheels of the installation were damaged, then the ACS can still move for some time.

The FH77 BW L52 Archer self-propelled artillery mount is made of bulletproof armor plates that comply with NATO STANAG 4569 level 2. The cockpit houses the workplaces of three or four crew members. The driver and commander are always present in the crew, but the number of weapon operators can vary depending on the tasks assigned. The roof of the cockpit can be equipped with the installation of a remote-controlled Protector turret with a machine gun. Self-propelled guns can be transported by rail, but in the future, Airbus A400M military transport aircraft will be used for this.

Two loading systems are installed on the Archer self-propelled guns. The first delivers 155-mm shells. The mechanized stacking capacity is 21 rounds. The second loading system operates propellant charges, which are supplied as cylindrical blocks with a combustible shell. Up to 126 propellant blocks can fit in the turret stack. It is worth noting that it takes about eight minutes to fully load the ammunition load.

The crew of the Archer self-propelled guns, if necessary, can increase or decrease the total amount of propellant mixture by changing the number of charges placed in the gun. With the maximum number of propelling charges self-propelled howitzer can send a projectile to a target at a distance of up to 30 kilometers. The use of active-reactive or guided munitions increases the firing range to 60 km. The self-propelled gun can fire direct fire, but in this case, the effective firing range does not exceed two kilometers.

Gun loading mechanisms provide a rate of fire of up to 8-9 rounds per minute. If necessary, the crew of the self-propelled gun can fire in the MRSI mode (the so-called flurry of fire), firing six shots in a short time. A salvo of 21 shots (full ammunition) takes no more than three minutes. When developing the Archer self-propelled guns, the need to reduce the time to prepare for firing and leave the position was taken into account. As a result, part of the preparations for firing a self-propelled gun can still be carried out on the way to the position. Thanks to this, the first shot is fired within 30 seconds after stopping at the desired point on the route. During this time, the outrigger is lowered and the tower is brought into combat position. After completing the fire mission, the crew transfers the combat vehicle to the traveling position and leaves the position. It also takes about 30 seconds to prepare to leave the position.

The self-propelled guns are equipped with a modern digital fire control system. Electronic equipment and systems associated with it allow the crew to carry out all the necessary operations without leaving their workplaces. With the help of automation, you can determine the coordinates of the system, do everything necessary calculations pointing angles, you can also fire using the MRSI algorithm. Self-propelled gun can also use guided projectiles Excalibur or the like, and the automation will prepare the ammunition for firing.

SAU "Archer" (Archer - archer),
SP 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I.

Self-propelled installation produced since 1943. It was created on the basis of the Valentine light infantry tank. At the same time, the power compartment with the GMS liquid-cooled diesel engine located in it remained unchanged, and instead of the control compartment and the fighting compartment, a lightly armored conning tower was mounted open on top, which accommodates a crew of 4 people and weapons. Self-propelled gun armed with 76.2 mm anti-tank gun With barrel length 60 calibers. Its initial speed armor-piercing projectile weighing 7.7 kg is 884 m / s. A horizontal pointing angle of 90 degrees, an elevation angle of +16 degrees, and a descent angle of 0 degrees are provided. The rate of fire of the gun is 10 rounds per minute. Such characteristics guns made it possible to successfully fight almost all German cars. To combat manpower and long-term firing points, the ammunition load (40 shells) also included high-explosive shells weighing 6.97 kg. Telescopic and panoramic sights were used to control fire. The fire could be conducted both by direct fire and from closed positions. To ensure communication on a self-propelled gun, a radio station was installed. Self-propelled installations "Archer" were produced almost until the end of the war and were first used in some artillery regiments, and then were transferred to tank units.

Development of the 17-pounder high initial speed projectile, comparable in armor penetration to the German 88-mm gun, began in 1941. Its production began in the middle of 1942, and it was planned to install it on the Challenger and Sherman Fire-fly tanks, self-propelled guns - tank destroyers. From the existing tank chassis, the Crusader had to be excluded due to such a small size and insufficient power reserve for such a weapon, the Valentine remained the only alternative from the available chassis.

The original idea of ​​installing a 17-pound gun on it was to use the Bishop self-propelled guns with the replacement of the 25-pound howitzer gun with a new gun. This proved impractical due to the long barrel of the 17-pounder and high altitude armored tubes. The Ministry of Supply offered the Vickers company to develop a new self-propelled unit based on the Valentine mastered in production, but withstanding the size restrictions when installing a long-barreled gun. This work began in July 1942 and the prototype was ready for testing in March 1943.

new car; named "Archer", built on the chassis "Valentine" with an open cabin at the top. The rear-facing 17-pounder had a limited sector of fire. The driver's seat was located similarly to the base tank, and the frontal cutting sheets were a continuation of the front hull sheets. Thus, despite the large length of the 17-pounder gun, the axis gets a relatively compact self-propelled guns with a low silhouette.

Fire tests took place in April 1943, but a number of units needed to be changed, including the installation of guns and fire control devices. In general, the car turned out to be successful and became a priority in the production program. The first production vehicle was assembled in March 1944, and from October the Archer self-propelled guns were supplied to the anti-tank battalions of the British BTC in North-Western Europe. The Archer remained in service with the British army until the mid-50s, in addition, after the war they were supplied to other armies. Of the 800 vehicles originally ordered, Vickers built only 665. Despite the limited tactical capabilities due to the adopted weapon installation scheme, the Archer - initially considered as a temporary measure until better designs appeared - proved to be a reliable and effective weapon.

Tactical and technical characteristics