Why the "world's best projectile" Super Vulcano will not help Ukraine In the next package of assistance to the AFU from Berlin, high-precision 155-mm Vulcano projectiles are announced.
This is a joint Italian-German development, which has a range of up to 120 kilometers. They are used for self-propelled artillery installations PzH 2000, but can be used for any artillery systems of NATO caliber. In total, 255 such guided missiles were promised to Kiev.
The standard guided land version of the 155-mm Vulcano projectile (127-mm naval version) has a maximum firing range close to 80 km, using an inertial-satellite correction system. Its latest modifications (Super Vulcano) can hit at a range of up to 120 km.
The Armyrecognition portal, which was the first to tell about the new projectile in 2017, noted that it was "a new word in European artillery."
"The ammunition family achieves the highest accuracy thanks to a unique combination of satellite navigation with laser or infrared sensors for guidance. This makes the Vulcano family the most accurate artillery ammunition for land and sea use worldwide. And the farthest in the world. This is the best projectile in the world," the portal noted.
Russian military experts disagree with this assessment.
"The effectiveness of the shells was confirmed only during test firing," he told the newspaper.Ru" publicist and military analyst Vladislav Shurygin. - They gave good results precisely in the conditions of test tests, both in the sea and in the land version: they fly far and hit targets accurately. But these were polygons, with comfortable conditions, the use of navigation and control tools. Now the Germans have decided to test them in Ukraine in combat conditions. This explains the limited batch of shells. Such a number of "blanks" will in no way affect the situation during the Russian special operation in Ukraine."
"The price is not mentioned in official sources. This, by the way, is very strange. Usually there are figures in European and American documents. In open sources: the price is half a million dollars. Even if this projectile hits perfectly, it's too expensive. It is oversaturated with electronics, chips. Germany will supply Ukraine with weapons better than HIMARS. There will be no sense because of the price of the shot. This is a story about the fact that the projectile will be more expensive than what it hits," Belousov added.
Military expert Ivan Yefremov notes that such a number of shells, which Berlin supplied, one gun can release in a day or even less.
"During the battles for the Sands, Russian gunners fired thousands of shells from one gun. 255 is a funny number. But there is a nuance. The Germans will check how Vulcano works. Ukraine is a testing ground for them," Yefremov added.
The Russian army can oppose the German 155-mm Vulcano shells not only with the corrected Krasnopol shells, which use the Hyacinth-S and Acacia self-propelled guns, but also with more powerful rocket and artillery systems.
For example, the ATGM "Hermes". The firing range of this complex is 100 km. It includes a combat vehicle (launcher) with 6-12-24 missiles ready for launch in the TPC (transport and launch container), which can carry out both single and multiple launch fire, a control vehicle with a multifunctional radar for detecting and tracking targets, as well as a command and staff vehicle with communication and navigation equipment. It is not known which missiles are used by Hermes during launches, two reproach calibers are assumed (the size of the "pipe"), depending on the flight range - 170 or 210 mm. The guidance system is combined, at the stage of reaching the target, it is carried out using inertial or radio command guidance, including laser.
"All this, of course, will increase the expenditure financial part of the Hermes, in which the cost of the missile itself will increase compared to other types of ammunition, however, they are unlikely to be higher than those of tactical missiles. At the same time, the "profitability coefficient" is obvious. This rocket is about fifteen times cheaper than Vulcano," Belousov believes.
Victor Sokirko
