Latvia chooses Czech howitzers over Swedish Archer offer

WARSAW, Poland — Latvia’s government has approved the acquisition of Morana 155 mm self-propelled wheeled howitzers from Czech manufacturer Excalibur Army, reversing its earlier decision to pursue a deal with Sweden’s BAE Systems Bofors, the producer of the rival Archer artillery system.

“The decision was made following an assessment of the costs of the offers, delivery times, operational capabilities and the involvement of the local defense industry in the procurement,” the Latvian Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

In June 2025, Latvia and Sweden signed a letter of intent that was to pave the way for an acquisition of 18 Archer systems. However, Riga’s decision to continue its negotiations with Excalibur Army resulted in an offer that includes more favorable prices and delivery terms, according to the ministry.

“Another significant advantage is that the involvement of the local defense industry is envisaged as part of the contract,” the statement said.

Bolstering Latvian indirect fire support capabilities has been identified as one of the “key capability development projects” to be financed by the nation’s record-high 2026 defense budget. This year, Latvia foresees spending 4.91% of its gross domestic product (GDP), or €2.16 billion ($2.48 billion), on the military.

The value of the howitzer procurement was not disclosed.

Excalibur Army is a subsidiary of Czechoslovak Group (CSG), the Prague-based private defense holding that is one of Europe’s largest ammunition producers.

The Morana has a firing range of 41.5 km (26 miles). Operated by a crew of three, the howitzer can reach a top road speed of 90 km/h (56 mph), according to data from Excalibur Army.

“The crew has 45 carried rounds available for their task completion. Fully automated gun loading allows the crew to fire up to 6 rounds within the first minute from establishing position,” CSG said in a statement.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰华沙——拉脱维亚政府已批准从捷克制造商Excalibur Army采购Morana 155毫米自行轮式榴弹炮，推翻了此前与瑞典BAE Systems Bofors公司（其竞争对手Archer火炮系统的生产商）达成交易的决定。

拉脱维亚国防部在一份声明中表示：“这一决定是在评估了报价成本、交货时间、作战能力以及当地国防工业参与采购的情况后做出的。”

2025年6月，拉脱维亚和瑞典签署了一份意向书，旨在为采购18套“弓箭手”（Archer）系统铺平道路。然而，据拉脱维亚国防部称，里加方面决定继续与“神剑”（Excalibur Army）公司进行谈判，最终获得了一份包含更优惠价格和交付条款的报价。

声明称：“另一个显著优势是，合同中设想了当地国防工业的参与。”

加强拉脱维亚间接火力支援能力已被列为该国2026年创纪录国防预算中的“关键能力发展项目”之一。今年，拉脱维亚预计将把国内生产总值（GDP）的4.91%（即21.6亿欧元，约合24.8亿美元）用于军事开支。

榴弹炮采购金额未予披露。

Excalibur Army 是捷克斯洛伐克集团 (CSG) 的子公司，CSG 是一家总部位于布拉格的私人国防控股公司，也是欧洲最大的弹药生产商之一。

莫拉纳榴弹炮的射程为41.5公里（26英里）。根据Excalibur Army的数据，该炮由三名炮组成员操作，最高公路速度可达90公里/小时（56英里/小时）。

“炮组人员携带了45发炮弹，可用于完成任务。全自动装弹系统使炮组人员能够在建立阵地后的第一分钟内发射多达6发炮弹，”CSG在一份声明中表示。

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。