The expert revealed the strengths and weaknesses of long-range howitzers that entered service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Entered service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. a batch of long-range howitzers - M777, the rate of fire of which is 2-5 rounds per minute. Its firing range can reach up to 24 km, depending on the type of projectile.
Ukrainian military expert Oleg Zhdanov stated this to the Kyiv publication UNN.
According to him, the list of weapons needed by Ukraine, recently published by Mikhail Podolyak, indicates 1000 howitzers of 155 mm caliber. There are 777 M1200 howitzers in the world.
About a thousand of them are in service with the United States, the rest are scattered across other countries - Brazil, Canada, India, Australia and Saudi Arabia.
“The M777 howitzer has fairly high operational capabilities. Its deployment takes 6 minutes; an experienced crew can fire about 5 rounds per minute. The howitzer differs from others in the presence of a high-precision digital computer fire control system, Towed Artillery Digitization, which uses GPS and data received from drones to target the target. This function allows you to conduct accurate fire over long distances,” the expert notes.
At one time, the howitzer received an update to the M777A2 version. The software has been updated to include the Enhanced Portable Inductive Artillery Fuze Setter for using Excalibur ammunition.
As the expert notes, the Ukrainian army also has an updated version of the M777 - M777A2. But the exact number of units is not known for certain.
“I assume that partner countries supply two versions of this type of equipment in doses. This is not only an updated version of the M777A2. The M777 howitzer also has a version, the M777A1, which has a GPS system, inertial navigation, radio and display. But due to confidentiality, the authorities do not name which version is most used among the Ukrainian army,” Zhdanov explained.
It should be noted that at the end of April, Canada also sent M777 howitzers, shells for them and armor-piercing shells for Carl Gustaf anti-tank rifles to Ukraine. Some Western media have noted that Canada has supplied Ukraine with Excalibur shells and four M777A2 howitzers, equipped with the latest hardware and software upgrades needed to fire these shells.
Despite the presence of these weapons, there are disagreements among military experts and analysts regarding the effectiveness of the technology.
In particular, on June 6, The New York Times published material about the use of M777 howitzers by Ukrainian troops. It was reported that the army has difficulties “typical of a situation when foreign weapons enter the troops.”
The newspaper writes that servicing the howitzer requires a special tool, which is produced in the USA. As noted, America had to urgently, after the delivery of howitzers to Ukraine, deliver a full set of “inch” wrenches.
It is noted that in battles, instruments can be destroyed or lost. This creates a problem in sourcing new tools, which will cause major delays if the tools need to be repaired.
The Economist military columnist Shashank Joshi also reported problems in servicing Western equipment, including M777 howitzers.
“I recently learned one interesting thing: Ukraine loses a lot of artillery due to poor maintenance: some of it has to be sent back to Poland for repairs. On the one hand, Ukraine is mastering Western equipment much faster than some expected. But this is not without problems,” he wrote on Twitter.
The New York Times also writes that, according to the Ukrainian military, the M777 howitzer is very mobile and capable of firing over long distances, but the weak point in their use is the training of crews, which took place in Germany and lasted only a week: one group of soldiers was taught to shoot from a howitzer, and the other to serve it. In addition, Russian media periodically publish footage of howitzers being destroyed by Russian MLRS.
When asked whether it is possible to protect the M777 howitzer from enemy attacks, Oleg Zhdanov replied that “in war, no one is safe.”
“On the front line, the only method of protecting equipment can only be carefully hidden coordinates of the weapon’s location. In war, no one is immune from blows, and from both sides. The advantage of our army is that we know the territories of our lands. If the enemy finds out where this or that equipment is located and how it is delivered to us, we quickly find our bearings and can find new logistics options. But in war this is natural. Today they hit us, tomorrow we will,” the expert concluded.
Earlier, the United States announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth $1 billion. The assistance includes MLRS ammunition, 18 M777 howitzers and Harpoon anti-ship missile systems.
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