AS-90

Tracked, fully-armored self-propelled howitzer that has equipped British Army artillery regiments since the early 1990s, providing indirect fire support with a 155 mm gun. A number of units were donated to Ukraine, reducing the size of the British Army's operational fleet.

In service since 1993 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

370

km range

155

mm gun

45,000

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

UK export-licensed

Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.

Channel: Government-to-government or direct

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1993. Status: active · ~179 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

155 mm NATO artillery

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 55 km/h

Bottom 8% of artillery systems
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 370 km

Stronger than 21% of artillery systems
Rate of fire Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.: 6 rpm

Stronger than 53% of artillery systems

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 155 mm L/39 howitzer
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 155 mm
Max firing range Maximum range of the main gun or rocket artillery (with assisted/extended-range munitions where noted). Higher extends reach.: 24.7 km

Stronger than 20% of artillery systems

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 45,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 5

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 179

Stronger than 28% of artillery systems
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 17% of artillery systems

Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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