Artillery

155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer

Also known as
  • FH77B
  • FH-77B
  • FH 77B
  • FH77
  • FH-77
  • FH 77
  • Field Howitzer 77B
  • Field Howitzer 77
  • Haubits FH77
  • Haubits FH77B
  • FH77 BO2
  • FH 77 BO 2
  • Bofors gun
  • Bofors 155 mm gun
  • 155 mm Bofors gun

The 155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer is a Swedish towed artillery piece developed by Bofors from the FH77A family and widely known in India as the Bofors gun. The export B-model retained the FH77 family’s auxiliary power unit for short self-movement, but used a longer 39-caliber barrel, screw breech, bag charges, and NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition. India’s 410-gun procurement made the FH77B a long-lived part of Indian Army artillery, with direct source-backed use in the 1999 Kargil War and later Line of Control firing in 2019 and 2025.

155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery
Image source: Bofors gun 155mm.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2025 India-Pakistan Conflict
Fire Support
Side
India

During the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict, ORF analysis of Operation Sindoor said India used Bofors guns alongside M777 howitzers and loitering munitions during Line of Control artillery exchanges.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Sweden
Type
155 mm towed howitzer
Service note
Cold War FH77 family; FH77B export model remained in Indian service into the 2010s
Designer
Bofors
Designed
1970s FH77 family; FH77A built from 1978 and FH77B developed as the export model
Produced
FH77A Swedish production 1978-1984; Indian FH77B production deliveries began in August 1986 and final systems were delivered in 1990
Number built
410 FH77B weapons for India; Army Guide also records 51 FH77B systems in Swedish service
Developed from
FH77A / Field Howitzer 77 family
Developed into
Archer wheeled artillery system and India's Dhanush 155 mm/45-caliber gun lineage

Specifications

Caliber
155 mm / 39 calibre
Crew
6
Maximum range
24,000 m standard; 30,000 m extended
Rate of fire
3 rounds in 12 seconds in burst fire; subsequent fire limited by ammunition supply
Mobility
Towed at up to 70 km/h; gun roadwheels can be powered for about 7 km/h movement when coupled to the tractor
Elevation
-3° to +70°
Ammunition
NATO-standard 155 mm projectiles with bagged charges; compatible source listings include HE M107, HEER, smoke, illumination, and BONUS top-attack rounds
Interesting Facts
  • It is a towed gun with auxiliary-power mobility. The FH77 family uses an auxiliary power unit so the crew can reposition the howitzer short distances without waiting for the towing truck.
  • The FH77B was the export-friendly ammunition version. The B model changed the breech arrangement and used a 39-caliber barrel so it could fire NATO-compatible 155 mm ammunition.
  • India's buy was smaller than planned but historically outsized. Bharat Rakshak says India originally looked at a far larger fleet, but only 410 Swedish-built guns were bought after the Bofors scandal.
  • Kargil changed its reputation in India. IPCS described Indian Bofors howitzers delivering sustained artillery fire in multiple Kargil sectors, and Bharat Rakshak says the FH77B proved its worth during the conflict.
  • Dhanush traces back to it. Defense News describes India's Dhanush 155 mm/45-caliber gun as based on original Bofors howitzer drawings from the mid-1980s procurement.
Variants

The FH77 family split between the original Swedish FH77A cased-charge arrangement, the FH77B export gun configured for NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition with bag charges, and later systems that reused FH77B design lineage.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
FH77AOriginal Swedish service model

Army Guide describes FH77B as an export model of the FH77A and says further development of FH77A resulted in FH77B.

Sources: FH-77B (Towed howitzer)

Archer, 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryARCHERSelf-propelled FH77B-family development

BAE Systems describes ARCHER as a wheeled, self-propelled 155 mm L52 howitzer developed from the successful towed FH77B.

Sources: ARCHER Wheeled Artillery System & Mobile Howitzer

Dhanush 155 mm/45-caliber gunIndian modernization lineage

Defense News and CENJOWS describe Dhanush as an Indian 155 mm/45-caliber gun developed from available designs or original drawings for India's Swedish 155 mm/39-caliber Bofors guns.

Sources: India's Dhanush artillery gun fails in trials, 155 mm 45 Calibre Dhanush Gun: a reality or a myth

Ammunition Fired

The FH77B was adapted for NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition, and Army Guide lists BONUS as a compatible top-attack projectile.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
155 mm NATO ammunition, 155 mm NATO-standard artillery ammunition family for 39-, 45-, and 52-caliber howitzers, Munitions155 mm NATO ammunition155 mm standard artillery ammunition

The FH77B export configuration was developed around NATO-compatible 155 mm ammunition, which distinguishes it from the earlier FH77A ammunition arrangement.

Sources: FH-77B (Towed howitzer), FH 77 155 mm Field Howitzer System

Bofors 155mm BONUS munition, 155 mm artillery-launched, fire-and-forget anti-armor munition, MunitionsBofors 155mm BONUS munition155 mm fire-and-forget anti-armor munition

Army Guide states that the FH77B can fire the 155 mm BONUS top-attack artillery projectile, while BAE Systems describes BONUS as compatible with most existing 155 mm artillery guns.

Sources: FH-77B (Towed howitzer), Bofors 155mm BONUS munition

Why this matters

The FH77B's bag-charge, NATO-standard ammunition arrangement separates it from the FH77A and connects the 1980s gun to both standard 155 mm projectiles and specialized rounds such as BONUS.

Sources: FH-77B (Towed howitzer), Bofors 155mm BONUS munition

Timeline

155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer Key Events

  1. FH77A production starts for Sweden

    Army Guide describes FH77A as the original Swedish Army model and says 200 were built between 1978 and 1984 before FH77B followed as a further development.

    Sources: FH-77B (Towed howitzer)

  2. India signs for 410 FH77B howitzers

    GlobalSecurity records the Indian contract date for 410 FH77B howitzers, and Army Guide says the first production FH-77Bs for India left the Bofors factory in August 1986.

    Sources: FH 77 155 mm Field Howitzer System, FH-77B (Towed howitzer)

  3. FH77B export model adapts the gun for NATO ammunition

    The FH77B export variant used a slightly longer barrel, screw breech, bag charges, and a revised hydraulic loading system so it could fire NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition rather than the FH77A's original cased-charge arrangement.

    Sources: FH-77B (Towed howitzer), FH 77 155 mm Field Howitzer System

  4. First Indian production guns leave Bofors

    Army Guide says the first production FH-77Bs for India left the Bofors factory in August 1986, marking the start of the Indian Army’s field deployment cycle.

    Sources: FH-77B (Towed howitzer)

  5. India buys 410 guns

    Bharat Rakshak records India's original plan for a much larger FH77B acquisition but says only 410 guns were purchased after the Bofors scandal froze the wider program.

    Sources: 155mm Bofors FH-77B

  6. 1999 Kargil War proves the gun's battlefield value

    IPCS described Indian use of 155 mm Bofors howitzers in the Kargil, Dras, Batalik, and Mushkoh sectors, while Bharat Rakshak says the FH77B proved its worth during the 1999 Kargil conflict.

    Sources: Role of Artillery in Operation 'Vijay', 155mm Bofors FH-77B

  7. ARCHER lineage is publicly tied to FH77B

    BAE Systems describes ARCHER as a wheeled, self-propelled 155 mm L52 howitzer developed from the successful towed FH77B, making the Swedish gun family the direct parent of a modern artillery system.

    Sources: ARCHER Wheeled Artillery System & Mobile Howitzer

  8. Dhanush modernization lineage is documented

    Defense News described India's Dhanush 155 mm/45-caliber gun as an indigenous upgrade based on original drawings of the Swedish 155 mm/39-caliber Bofors guns India procured in the mid-1980s, and CENJOWS described OFB development from available original Bofors 155 mm/39-caliber designs.

    Sources: India's Dhanush artillery gun fails in trials, 155 mm 45 Calibre Dhanush Gun: a reality or a myth

  9. FH77B appears again in Line of Control firing

    During the 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes, Indian defense reporting said the Indian Army used Bofors guns to respond to Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control.

    Sources: Army uses Bofors guns to respond to border shelling by Pakistan, Indian Army warns Pakistan of dire consequences amid heavy artillery exchange on LoC

Media

155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer Videos

155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer Images

155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery - view 1
Source: Haubits 77.jpg
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Sources

155mm Bofors FH-77BPublisher: Bharat Rakshak | Note: 1999 Kargil War source: supports FH77B background, Indian Army service context, published crew, caliber, speed, range, elevation, traverse, rate-of-fire figures, and Indian Army use of the gun in the Kargil War. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Role of Artillery in Operation 'Vijay'Publisher: Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies | Note: 1999 Kargil War source: describes Indian Army use of 155 mm Bofors howitzers for artillery fire support in the Kargil, Dras, Batalik, and Mushkoh sectors. | Accessed: 2026-07-06FH 77 155 mm Field Howitzer SystemPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports FH77B background as a Bofors 155 mm towed howitzer with an auxiliary power unit and NATO ammunition compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-07-06FH-77B (Towed howitzer)Publisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports FH77B technical background, NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition compatibility, and the statement that the FH77B can fire the 155 mm BONUS top-attack projectile. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Bofors 155mm BONUS munitionPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports BONUS munition background and compatibility with most existing 155 mm artillery guns. | Accessed: 2026-07-06ARCHER Wheeled Artillery System & Mobile HowitzerPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports the FH77B family lineage by describing ARCHER as developed from the successful towed FH77B. | Accessed: 2026-07-06India's Dhanush artillery gun fails in trialsPublisher: Defense News | Note: Supports Dhanush lineage context by describing the Indian 155 mm/45-caliber gun as based on original drawings of the Swedish 155 mm/39-caliber Bofors guns procured by India in the mid-1980s. | Accessed: 2026-07-06155 mm 45 Calibre Dhanush Gun: a reality or a mythPublisher: Centre for Joint Warfare Studies | Note: Supports Dhanush lineage by describing OFB's 155 mm/45-caliber development from available designs of the original Bofors 155 mm/39-caliber gun system. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Army uses Bofors guns to respond to border shelling by PakistanPublisher: The Economic Times | Note: 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes source: used by the Indian Army to retaliate against Pakistan Army shelling along the Line of Control. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Indian Army warns Pakistan of dire consequences amid heavy artillery exchange on LoCPublisher: The Print | Note: 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes source: used by the Indian Army in the heavy artillery exchange along the Line of Control. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Operation Sindoor: Raising the Cost of Terrorism for PakistanPublisher: Observer Research Foundation | Note: 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict source: says India used Bofors guns alongside M777 howitzers and Polish-made loitering munitions during Operation Sindoor-related Line of Control artillery exchanges. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Bofors gun 155mm.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the Indian Army Bofors gun photograph. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Haubits 77.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA licensing for a second FH77-family image showing the system at display in Stockholm. | Accessed: 2026-07-06