Ukrainian colonel compares Western and Soviet artillery
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The Armed Forces of Ukraine listed the advantages of Western artillery. Ukraine is now using all the most modern 155mm guns available, as Serhii Musiienko, Deputy Commander of the Rocket Forces and Artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
The first Western system to reach the Ukrainian Armed Forces was the 155mm howitzer M777A2, made by the British-American company, which is quite modern and has been modernized, but it came without an on-board computer and GPS navigation units - like a regular gun without additional equipment.
“Thanks to its technical characteristics and the available range of ammunition, we immediately gained an advantage in range and accuracy,” the military said.
What is the difference between Western and Soviet artillery?
There is such a characteristic of ammunition as dispersion, which is the deviation from the impact points in the same conditions.
“In Soviet ammunition, the calculated average range deviation is 20-25 meters, but taking into account all the accompanying conditions, the total deviation of the point of impact from the target will be at least 100 meters at best. This was sufficient by Soviet standards and was covered by a significant number of missiles fired at the target. But the longer the range, the greater the deviations,” Musiienko said.
The calculated figure for Western and American-made ammunition is 10-15 meters, and the total deviation is 50-60 meters, which is a sign of their accuracy, the quality of the shells and powder charges, and the use of more accurate guidance and targeting systems.
“This is also thanks to the appropriate training of our artillerymen, more accurate and long-range Western guns, and the availability of UAVs for reconnaissance and correction,” the colonel said.
Musiienko adds that Ukraine is currently using all the most modern 155mm guns available: trailed M777A2, self-propelled M109A6, German Panzerhaubitze-2000, British AS-90, Polish Krab, and Swedish Archer.
“And these guns that we have in service give us an advantage in both accuracy and range, provided that we are equipped with the proper amount and appropriate range of ammunition,” the military says.
Russians modernize their artillery
The Russians are not standing still either, they are modernizing existing artillery systems and creating new ones, trying to adapt them to modern conditions.
“So far, we have already managed to detect and effectively hit their most advanced 152mm Malva self-propelled howitzer, which began entering the army at the end of 2023. However, I emphasize that modern artillery systems from Western partners and the United States are more technologically advanced and developed,” the colonel said.
According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces surprised partners with the speed of mastering and the effectiveness of using these weapons.
Non-classical tactics of using artillery
At the beginning of Russia's large-scale aggression, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were armed with only Soviet artillery systems. And the Russians had ten times more of them. That is why Ukraine began to use new, non-classical tactics for artillery units back then.
As a result, the Ukrainian forces were able to hit a group target with 1-2 guns with almost direct hits. And it was more effective than when the Russians fired an entire division at a single Ukrainian gun that was firing at them.
Read also how Ukraine has changed the tactics of using artillery.
