Patria anticipates Finnish needs unveiling its ARVE truck-mounted 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
At the Arctic Event 2025 organised by Patria in Lappland a new truck-mounted self-propelled 155 mm howitzer was visible, the ARVE, which anticipates the possible needs of the Finnish Defence Forces, indirect fire becoming more and more important looking at today scenarios
“This concept has been around for quite some time, we never publicised it, but it was there, both the truck and the gun were there,” Jukka Holkeri, Executive Vice President of Global Division at Patria told EDR On-Line. The time had come to put them together, considering the rising importance of artillery and its vulnerability to new threats. While no firm requirement from the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) exists yet, Patria considers that the need for a system capable to carry out shoot-and-scoot missions in very short time, reducing risks against first-person.vie drones (FPVs) and similar systems. The proposed solution employs the artillery elements of the 155GH52 towed howitzer, also produced by Patria in the past, of which over 50 systems remain in service with the FDF; this means that while a solution might be re-using existing howitzer, the decision might also involve the production of new ones. Both solutions are feasible, according to Mr. Holkeri, and Patria is ready to answer some plans that are surfacing in the FDF but looks with interest also on the export market.
The gun is mounted at the rear if the truck, a spade being lowered before firing, which brings most of the recoil forces into the ground. It takes around 90 seconds to fir the first round since the ARVE has stopped, the laying system being manual. The elevation angle is comprised between -3° and +60°, loading being manual with flick rammer. Maximum rate of fire is eight rounds per minute, with three rounds in the first 15 seconds, while sustained fire rate is two rounds per minute, the crew being made of six personnel.
Rounds are contained in boxes located alongside the truck, a total of 24 complete ammunition being carried. With standard ammunition maximum range is 40 km. The elevation arc of the gun goes from -3° to +60°; in indirect fire mode, with elevation between +12° and +60°, the ARVE can shoot in the -90°/+50° sector, while in direct fire mod that sector becomes -60°/-90°. Once the fire action is finished, the self-propelled gun leaves the place in around 45 seconds.
The artillery system is installed on a Sisu E13TP 8×8 truck, the whole complex being 11.5 metres long, 2.6 metres wide and 3.5 metres high, maximum combat mass being less than 28 tonnes. Powered by a 500 hp engine, it can reach a maximum speed on road of over 100 km/h and has a cruising range of over 600 km, its tank containing 400 litres of fuel. Mobility wise, it can climb a 30° (57.7%) and ford a 1-metre-deep water obstacle.
The system seen at the Arctic Event was the ARVE prototype, which was developed in around one year as both the weapon and the platform were available. Patria engineers designed the interface between the two, thus the laying system and the spade, as well as ammunition boxes etc. The first phase of the programme is about to be completed, all systems having now be integrated. Some mobility trials should then start, bringing to first firings within year end, all trials being for the time being conducted at industry level.
Patria is already looking forward and is considering considerable enhancements that will definitely increase the ARVE effectiveness. An automatic laying system should be installed, linked to the weapon terminal and ballistic calculator, an automatic loading system being also a potential improvement.
Photos by P. Valpolini
