British soldiers have fired a new artillery gun for the first time on a tactical exercise close to Russia’s border in Finland. It comes as Russia responds furiously to US president Joe Biden’s decision to approve the use of American long-range ATACMS missiles in Russian territory for the first time. The Swedish-made Archer 155mm self-propelled guns have been acquired as an interim replacement for the 32 AS90s which the UK has donated to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. The Archer, which is designed and built by BAE Systems Bofors, has double the maximum range of the AS90, greater operational mobility, greater availability and reduced time into action, according to the Ministry of Defence.