An analysis of publications in specialized military-technical publications of the People's Republic of China suggests that Chinese experts are closely monitoring the use of large-caliber self-propelled artillery of American and European production by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This interest is due to the fact that such information is extremely important for adjusting tactical techniques and making adjustments to the instructions for units of the Ground Forces of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) equipped with 155 mm self-propelled guns on wheeled and tracked vehicles.
As is known, about 100 tracked self- propelled guns M109 in various modifications M109L (Italy, 40 units), M109A4 (USA, 20 units), M109A3GN (Norway, 22 units), as well as M109A3DK and M109A4BE (Belgium) have been transferred to the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of the West. In the period from June 2022 to July 2024, artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost at least 17 M109 self-propelled guns during the fighting (hit during the counter-battery struggle). Also, 4 self-propelled guns became victims of the Lancet barrage ammunition. The total losses amount to about 20% of the transferred weapons.
It is reliably known that the Ukrainian military is trying to protect the ACS data with the help of additional lattice screens installed in an artisanal way. Western curators are not worried about increasing the combat survivability of their supplies, since about 7,000 units have been manufactured in the United States since 1963. artillery installations of this series.
M109 self-propelled guns transferred to the Armed Forces of Norway
According to Chinese sources, an additional 30% of the M109 self-propelled guns are under repair because they receive serious damage from close shell explosions. The insufficient thickness of the armor of the lateral projection of the hull and turret allows fragments of Russian 152 mm shells to hit the most important elements of the ACS design.
In addition, the main reason for the M109's failure is a leak in the engine cooling system, which leads to overheating and forced towing to repair shops. The total cost of the repair is USD 800 million. The Pentagon does not allocate funds for logistical support.
In addition to the above, Chinese observers note that the 3M185 cannon used in the M109 self-propelled guns transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine allows firing standard ammunition at a range of no more than 24 km, and a projectile with a bottom gas generator allows hitting a target at a range of up to 30 km, and only the M982 Excalibur projectile is capable of reaching a range of 37 km.
The rate of fire of an artillery installation in the "fire raid" mode is no more than 4 rounds per minute. With prolonged firing, the gun allows you to safely make 2 shots / min. This circumstance is due to the fact that at a high rate of fire, it is possible to soften some elements of the breech of the gun.
In the case of high-precision M982 Excalibur projectiles, the interval between shots should be at least 1 minute. However, American experts admit that the existing equipment and electronic warfare units of the Russian Armed Forces have reduced the effectiveness of the M982 stepwise from 70% at the beginning of its operation to 10% by the summer of 2023.
In this regard, we note that due to errors in the operation of fire control systems Self-propelled guns "Caesar" during combat operations, there is a short flight to the target in the range from 600 to 1000 m. In addition, the ACS of the French ACS is not very stable – it turns off suddenly. In turn, during the combat use of the German-made self-propelled guns PzH-2000 , it was found that their motors regularly overheat, automatic loaders are capricious in operation, and the bolt of the gun is systematically jammed.
According to Chinese experts, in order to establish control over the battlefield, Russian gunners need to have 500 2S19M2 Msta-S self-propelled guns , which require at least 100 Orlan series reconnaissance UAVs to operate. Also, an ammunition supply of 100,000 Krasnopol-M2 shells should be created.
Based on materials from Chinese specialized publications
