Increased lethality for the British Army has moved a step closer after a £53 million contract was awarded by OCCAR on behalf of the British Army to ARTEC GmbH for the long-lead production of 37 weapon systems for the Remote Controlled Howitzer (RCH) 155.

The announcement also marks a significant boost for the British defence industry, with new investment into Rheinmetall’s large calibre gun barrel manufacturing facility – also known as the Gun Hall – in Telford.

The RCH 155 is the Army’s long-term Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) to replace the AS90 weapons systems gifted to Ukraine three years ago.

The RCH155 comprises two major components: the Boxer Drive Module and the Artillery Gun Module (AGM). The AGM, in turn, is made up of the turret and the weapon system.

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

£30 million of the contract value will go towards supporting the development of Rheinmetall’s new Gun Hall in Telford, which is expected to produce around 100 highly skilled jobs within the facility, with further employment supported across the wider UK supply chain.

This investment will create operational independence for gun barrel production in the UK and establish long-term capability and surge capacity for large gun barrels at scale.

The announcement follows a £52 million contract signed in December for three RCH 155 Early Capability Demonstrator vehicles for joint UK and German testing, and builds on the landmark Trinity House Agreement signed by the two countries in October 2024.

The Boxer-based RCH 155 can fire eight rounds per minute at targets up to 70km away, depending on ammunition. It can come into action within seconds, operate with just two crew members, and travel at speeds of up to 100km/h – making it harder for adversaries to target.

Brig Toby Lambert, Head of International, Industry and Prosperity, Army HQ said:

“This contract is really great news – not only for our soldiers, but for the UK’s ever-increasing industrial base.

“It demonstrates a strengthening of our supply chains and delivers on our commitments made in the Trinity House Agreement with our close ally, Germany.

“The second order impacts of this award are far-reaching: the creation of high-skilled jobs combined with the drive for continued innovation will undoubtedly stimulate further investment in Defence. This demonstrates another key step towards the Army’s continual modernisation programme, preparing our soldiers for the future fight.”