Ah ha! New model shop for me. …looks… $183 US with soft plastic tires and that does not include shipping.
I’m out. 
That’s happening a lot of late.
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I’m not a fan of how that thing looks, but the front end looks like the front end of a road grader and I’d definitely get one of those if they put it in 1/35 styrene.
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The chassis originated here:
I have seen those beasts in action on marginal terrain …
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It will probably be a pre production kit like their Boxer MRAV and the Eitan kits are
This is the production version
The Gun system can be mounted on other chassis, such as trucks.
Those articulated chassis are also used for hauling timber out of our forests so we know how well they perform. An articulated chassis can wiggle to avoid getting stuck, a straigh frame chassis does not have that advantage. Making 180 degree turns on slopes requires a special technique to reduce the risk of tipping.
" A final prototype was scheduled for completion by September 2009, which was expected to be followed by a contract for 48 systems – 24 for Sweden and 24 for Norway. Archer was planned to enter service in 2011 but was delayed until October 2013. This was because of unforeseen technical problems.[11] It caused the Norwegian government to withdraw from the project in December 2013.[12]
The Swedish Army received its first four pre-serial production FH-77 BW L52 Archer systems on 23 September 2013,[13][14] and the first guns finally entered service on 1 February 2016.[15]
“In 2019, a new configuration of the Archer, with the howitzer mounted on a Rheinmetall MAN HX2 8×8 tactical truck, was revealed. Sweden had ordered a number of HX2 trucks in 2014, with deliveries commencing in 2017.[16] On 23 January 2020, Janes Information Services reported that BAE Systems Bofors had begun trials for the HX2 variant.[17]”
The Archer entered Service in Sweden 10+ years ago so I think it would be difficult for HB to base their kit on the prototype. The kit parts definitely look more like the production version, check the grille on the openings left and right of the nose (nostrils?)
Another photo published in a Swedish newspaper in 2022
Bred last means wide load
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All Chinese kits are much more expensive from Japanese sellers. It will be cheaper in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
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The price here in Germany will be around 90 Euros. Sounds reasonable for me. Mörkgrön is now the standard color for Archer? I have somewhere color chips for Swedish splinter camo.
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I doubt that. The price probably includes a build in pad for tariff payments when shipping to the United States.
From my point of view, the base price of a model is irrelevant. What matters is the total price to my door. I am currently skipping anything produced in China that ships from a foreign country.
If the price to door improves in the future, including replacement tires, I will give it another look.
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Reminds me a lot of the turret & gun from the failed SP70 project, stuck on the rear of a truck…
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Yes, the shape/contours seem very redolent of that Tom.
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At one point I contemplated a serious kitbash to make an SP70 after seeing the one that was at Woolwich…
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Having crew inside the turret complicates everything.
It needs to be bigger if the magazine should hold the same ammo load.
Elevation of gun inside a non elevating turret needs more space.
Larger turret means more volume to cover with armour.
If an auto loader is used in a non elevating turret it gets more complicated
or the gun must return to a neutral elevation between shots.
The requirement on ventilation of propellant gases is stricter in a manned
turret, a manned turret may also need to be ABC-protected.
Keeping the crew separated from the gun simplifies things …
Edit: Found this when Googling for SP70 on a truck:
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Me too Tom; however, with my inability to cut a straight piece of plastic card my efforts would have been doomed to failure.
I note that someone has done same at Koblenz:
albeit missing the loading mechanism at the rear of the turret. This would still be one of the great “What-Ifs” I reckon. Sadly, beyond my skill set (but would have looked great in Brit black and green perhaps).
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The tilting turret is logical, and positioning it at the rear makes reloading easier. One of the issues that doomed SP70 was that the turret was midships, so could only be reloaded when turned sideways. No biggie for occasional reloads, but a real problem for prolonged fire missions.
Still, it would make a stunning model… 
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Sorry, but tariffs or no tariffs, all kits produced in China have always been more expensive in Japan. It has nothing to do with the current US trade situation. So you can’t use that price as a base cost. It will be cheaper elsewhere. As far as what it actually costs by the time it arrives at your doorstep is a different story.
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I’ll definitely get one of these, because the UK is fielding 16 (!)
It has a minute salvo fire rate of three rounds in 15 seconds.
Downsides to the Archer in the field is that it needs a specialised reload vehicle and its a lot more expensive than the French Caesar 6x6 or 8x8
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One advantage of the Archer is that the crew is not exposed.
The other advantages is that the gun is not exposed to the “weather”
and the autoloader reduces crew size and work load.
When costs are compared the capabilities should also be considered.
A Lada is a lot cheaper than a Mercedes, but the buyer should not expect
the same “driving experience” from a Lada as from a Mercedes.
The Lada is probably cheaper to repair than the Mercedes so the
customer need to prioritise between requirements.
The shoot and scoot characteristics are important to the artillery people.
“the CAESAR is fast to set up, taking around 60 seconds for the crew to be ready to fire and 40 seconds to leave after the shots. It can fire six rounds per minute.”
Both of these times are below 30 seconds for the Archer. Ten seconds can be the difference between life and death …
Three rounds fired and the Archer is moving almost 3 seconds before the first round impacts.
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Each platform has its +/-
Archer is technically more advanced with longer range, has a crew of 3, or in an emergency can be operated by 1 man, but only has a 20 round magazine and the crew needs more training.
The UK has gifted its AS90’s to the Ukraine 
but will have only 16 Archers:sweden: to replace them.
The Ceasear 
and Archer:sweden: are, or are soon, deployed in Ukraine along with AS90’s, M109’s:united_states:, and PHZ 2000 
Operationally, the phz2000 is reported as needing frequent, higher level, support than some of the more err robust systems.
The M119 
version of the 105mm Howitzer is also a favourite, as it is robust, accurate, and counterintuitively for artillery, ‘quiet’ 
, and BAE have opend support facilities in the Ukraine for it.
But main point is that more support for is needed.
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