Latvia approved buying Morana 155 mm wheeled howitzers from Czech firm Excalibur Army, reversing earlier plans to pursue Sweden's Archer. Officials cited better prices, delivery schedules, operational capability and local industry participation as decisive factors. The purchase aligns with Latvia's record-high 2026 defence budget, under which the country plans to spend 4.91% of GDP (€2.16bn) on the military. Contract value and final delivery details were not disclosed.
Latvia Chooses Czech Morana Howitzers Over Sweden's Archer After Cost and Delivery Review
The Morana self-propelled howitzer, made by Excalibur Army, a subsidiary of Czechoslovak Group. (Excalibur Army)
WARSAW, Poland — Latvia's government has approved the purchase of Morana 155 mm self-propelled wheeled howitzers from Czech maker Excalibur Army, abandoning earlier plans to acquire Sweden's BAE Systems Bofors Archer system. The Defence Ministry said the decision followed a comprehensive assessment of price, delivery schedules, operational capabilities and the involvement of Latvia's domestic defense industry.
"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 covering a potential purchase of 18 Archer systems. Riga, however, continued negotiations with Excalibur Army and received what officials described as a more favourable commercial and delivery package from the Czech side. The ministry highlighted local industry participation as a "significant advantage" of the Czech proposal.
Budget And Strategic Context
Strengthening indirect fire support is listed among the "key capability development projects" in Latvia's record-high 2026 defence budget. For 2026, Latvia plans to spend 4.91% of GDP — roughly €2.16 billion (about $2.48 billion) — on defence. The monetary value of the Morana procurement has not been disclosed.
About The Supplier And The System
Excalibur Army is a subsidiary of Czechoslovak Group (CSG), a Prague-based private defence holding and one of Europe's major ammunition producers. According to company data, the Morana wheeled howitzer has a maximum firing range of 41.5 km (26 miles), is operated by a crew of three and can reach a top road speed of 90 km/h (56 mph). The system carries 45 rounds with the crew, and CSG says its fully automated loading system enables crews to fire up to six rounds within the first minute after coming into position.
Latvian officials said the Czech offer improved both unit price and delivery scheduling compared with the Swedish option and that the contract envisages participation from local defence firms — a factor likely to benefit domestic maintenance, logistics and industry integration.
Details about final contract length, delivery timeline and exact unit numbers were not released by the ministry.
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