MOSCOW, Aug 11 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The armed conflict in Ukraine is being closely studied at headquarters around the world. One of the conclusions made by experts is that large calibers still play a crucial role. Therefore, for example, the Pentagon decided to change the approach to military strategy. About what was offered there — in the material of RIA Novosti.
The deciding factor
In terms of the scale of the use of barrel and rocket artillery, the special military operation surpassed all conflicts since the Second World War. In conditions when both sides have a developed air defense system and the capabilities of aviation are limited, the decisive factor on the battlefield is the weight of a howitzer salvo.
Self-propelled artillery installation 2S3 "Acacia" while working on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Viktor Antonyuk
Artillery participates in all types of combined arms combat — both in the offensive and in defense.
According to Western experts, Russia spends up to 20 thousand shells a day, Ukraine — three to four times less. The head of the U.S. Army Futures Command, General James Rainey, considers this a great advantage of Moscow.
He admitted that the bet on pinpoint strikes with "smart" ammunition did not justify itself. The conflict showed that the massive use of conventional high-explosive shells when adjusted from a drone gives a much better result.
Ukrainian servicemen are firing from an M777 howitzer
Image Source: © AP Photo / LIBKOS
Rainey recalled that the United States sent Kiev almost two hundred 155-millimeter howitzers, 72—caliber smaller (105), 38 HIMARS MLRS installations and several million ammunition. How this weapon manifests itself in battle is closely monitored. And draw conclusions.
In particular, American experts suggest working on new gunpowders to increase the firing range of conventional projectiles. To increase the rate of fire will allow the introduction of automatic loading into the design of guns and howitzers.
American highly mobile rocket and artillery system for operational and tactical purposes HIMARS
Image Source: © Photo : U.S. Marine Corps / Lance Cpl. Megan Ozaki
In addition, the Pentagon wants to purchase several samples of weapons from alliance allies in order to test them at landfills and adopt everything useful.
A promising howitzer
The battles demonstrated that the main self—propelled howitzers of the US Army, the M109 Paladin, adopted in 1963, lag behind in firing range not only from the Russian Msta-S, but also from the German Pzh2000, French CAESAR, British AS—90 Braveheart and even Polish AHS Krab. This means that the firing lines are closer to the front line. Accordingly, the positions are more vulnerable to counter-battery fire and kamikaze drones.
General Rainey calls on the US military—industrial complex to accelerate the testing of the promising XM1299 self-propelled gun under the ERCA project (Extended Range Cannon Artillery - extended-range artillery). They have been working on it since 2019.
The ACS is made on the M109 chassis, but has a much more powerful gun. The length of the barrel has grown from 39 calibers to 58, which significantly increases the range. Up to 70 kilometers.
Training of Ukrainian military shooting from the M109 self-propelled gun in Germany
Image Source: © Photo : U.S. Army / Sgt. Spencer Rhodes
Another feature is the experimental active—rocket projectile XM113 with increased accuracy. The rate of fire will reach ten rounds per minute thanks to the automatic loader. A new fire control system and a navigation system operating under conditions of electronic suppression are provided. The remaining characteristics are still classified.
The first 18 experimental units want to be sent to the army by the end of this year. And in the next — to test and adopt.
However, an unexpected problem was discovered at the landfills: the howitzer barrel wears out too quickly. The solution is shells with a smaller weight of gunpowder. But the range will be reduced.
"This is not enough"
The Americans positioned the XM1299 as a response to the latest Russian self-propelled guns 2C35 "Coalition", significantly superior to their Western counterparts in range, rate of fire and some other characteristics. But whether the new ACS will become a favorite is a big question.
The declared combat rate of fire of the domestic self—propelled gun is from 11 to 16 rounds per minute. This is more than the Pentagon's promising machine. And the firing range of a guided projectile is 80 kilometers.
Self-propelled artillery installation (ACS) "Coalition-SV" during a military parade to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 in St. Petersburg
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Mikhail Kireev
However, it is not yet known when the "Coalition" will en masse to the troops. Although even without it, Russia has something to oppose to a promising model on the battlefield.
It's no secret that Western howitzers in the zone of their own are longer-range than most Russian ones. This seriously complicates the counter-battery fight. But our troops prefer not to engage in artillery duels. Guns destroy kamikaze drones. The range of the Lancet-3 is just enough to get the XM1299.
Despite the equipment, the United States has no practice of massive use of artillery. Therefore, as analysts and the media note, Western countries are simply not ready for such an intense conflict as in Ukraine.
"Without Western planes that could challenge the Russians in the sky, Ukrainian troops are fighting as if with one hand," writes Newsweek. — The alliance's style of warfare, which strongly depends on control over the sky, was practiced only in theaters where there was unconditional superiority in the air. No NATO fighter has ever fought the way Ukrainians have to now."
The publication emphasizes that, despite decades of investment and preparation, the NATO method of ground warfare has never been tested against a large state. It is not surprising that Ukrainians have partially rejected Western training: their own experience under the fire of Russian artillery and aviation is more convincing than American analytical calculations.
