The Artillerisystem 08 or Archer is the most modern Swedish self-propelled howitzer currently in service, and is considered among the most effective in the world. The Archer follows a recent trend towards wheeled rather than tracked artillery systems, and uses a modified Volvo A30D 6x6 all-terrain hauler as the chassis. This features a fully armored and NBC-protected cab which is fitted with bulletproof windows and can seat the full three-person crew. A 12.7-mm M2HB can also be mounted on the top of the cab. The Archer is armed with a version of the 155-mm L/52 FH 77B towed howitzer, which is fed through an automatic loading system that is remotely operated from the cab. It can fire a wide array of Swedish and NATO ammunition with a typical range of 40 km with conventional munitions and up to 60 km with extended-range munitions like the precision-guided US M982 Excalibur. It is also capable of direct fire as well. A burst rate of three rounds in 16 seconds can be achieved with the full 20-round magazine fired in just 2.5 minutes, and the vehicle is able to move in and out of a fire position in just 20 second which reduces its vulnerability to counter-battery fire. A computerized fire-control system is also provided which provides excellent accuracy. The Archer is also air-transportable in a C-17 or A400M transport. The Archer is currently in service only with the Sweden army, following the cancelation of a Norwegian order. Sweden has announced that a number of Archers will be sent to Ukraine.

Development of a self-propelled platform for the FH 77 howitzer began in 1995, initially with a Volvo A25C chassis, with the first prototype ready in 1999. The final production version switched to a A30D chassis and received its first orders in 2009 as the Artillerisystem 08 (Archer), although it is also known as the FH 77BW L52.