United Kingdom has handed over to Ukraine all AS-90 systems it had in service
The United Kingdom has transferred all of its AS-90 self-propelled artillery systems to Ukraine, thereby ending their use in the British Armed Forces.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Army Technology.
The last training firing of these self-propelled artillery systems by the British Army took place in May 2024. Initially, it was planned that decommissioning would last until the 2030s to avoid gaps in combat capabilities, but due to changes in the country's defense policy, this process was accelerated.
To replace the AS-90, the United Kingdom purchased 14 Swedish Archer self-propelled artillery systems, which are currently part of the 1st Regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery. According to official data, as of 2023, the UK Ministry of Defense had 57 AS-90s on its balance sheet, and in February 2024, it had 39, which is explained by their transfer to Ukraine.
In 2024, London made two additional tranches of transfers: in April, another part of the system was sent, bringing the total number to 50 units, and in September, another 16 units were sent, raising the confirmed number of transferred units to 68. The systems were delivered both in combat-ready condition and as donors for the repair of other models.
AS-90s are already being used by Ukrainian units. In December 2024, they were transferred to the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, and from the beginning of 2025 - to the 117th Heavy Mechanized and 151st Mechanized Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
At the same time, as part of the new Mobile Fires Platform program, the British Ministry of Defense has officially selected the German RCH155 wheeled self-propelled gun as the successor to the AS-90. The choice was made due to the high characteristics of the system, including high rate of fire, mobility and speed of departure. The artillery modules will be manufactured in Germany, while the Boxer platforms and guns will be produced in the UK.
