LONDON, - Britain said on Wednesday it will spend 1 billion pounds ($1.35 billion) buying its army 72 remote controlled RCH 155 howitzers, an artillery gun mounted on a vehicle, as part of a modernisation plan which will support over 500 jobs.
UK has a gap in its war-fighting capability after handing its previous fleet of artillery systems, AS90s, to Ukraine in recent years. The RCH 155s will fill that gap.
First deliveries of RCH 155 vehicles are expected in 2028.
Contract is with Germany-headquartered ARTEC GmbH, a joint venture between KNDS and Rheinmetall.
Weapons systems will be made at Rheinmetall's facility in central England, while the chassis and engine will be made at KNDS UK in northern England.
British defence minister John Healey says contract delivers for the battlefield and the economy.
The gun can fire at targets 70 km (44 miles) away and move at over 100 km (62 miles) per hour, making it hard for adversaries to attack.
Britain has pledged its biggest defence-spending increase since World War Two, but industry is still waiting for a defence investment plan which has been delayed by months.
