Image source: topwar.ru
The Ukrainian army is preparing to adopt a light howitzer of an unusual 105-mm caliber, the supply of guns will be provided by New Zealand. The number of howitzers is not called.
According to the Ukrainian press, in the near future the AFU will receive a batch of light towed howitzers L-118. This conclusion is drawn from the Pentagon's reports about a new batch of "military aid", which will include 36 thousand 105 mm shells. Given that the United States supplies howitzers and ammunition based on the proportion of 2 thousand shells per gun, Kiev predicts the receipt of 18 L-118 howitzers, i.e. one division. In the West, this howitzer is designed to support infantry.
The fact that New Zealand will supply an unnamed number of L-118 howitzers to Ukraine was reported at the end of May. In addition to the guns themselves, New Zealand military instructors will train 230 AFU servicemen. The course will last about one week, the training will take place in the UK.
The L-118 light howitzer gun was developed in the UK to replace the outdated 105 mm M56 howitzers. It was adopted in 1974. It was produced in two versions: L-118 with a conventional barrel and L-119 with a shortened one. The firing range of the L-118 howitzer with a conventional high-explosive shell is 17.2 km, active-reactive - 20.5 km. The weight of the howitzer is 2.3 tons, the calculation of 5-7 people. During the latest modernization, the gun received the laser inertial artillery aiming system LINAPS (Laser Inertial Navigation Artillery Pointing System). Currently, the gun is being removed from the armament of armies and replaced with more modern systems.
