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Ukraine - AS90 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer

The Prime Minister announced 14 January 2023 the UK will send tanks and self-propelled guns to aid the Ukrainian offensive. The Prime Minister had already committed to match or exceed the UK’s defence support for Ukraine in 2023 and he instructed ministers and officials this week to ensure the UK are being proactive as possible across the full spectrum of support.

This donation, which comprises a battery of eight guns at high readiness and two further batteries at varying states of readiness, will not impact on existing AS-90 commitment in Estonia.

UK defence and security officials believed a window had opened up where Russia is on the backfoot due to resupply issues and plummeting morale. The Prime Minister was therefore encouraging allies to deploy their planned support for 2023 as soon as possible to have maximum impact.

A squadron of 14 tanks will go into the country in the coming weeks after the Prime Minister told President Zelenskyy that the UK would provide additional support to aid Ukraine’s land war. Around 30 AS90s, which are large, self-propelled guns, operated by five gunners, are expected to follow.

The UK will begin training the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use the tanks and guns in the coming days, as part of wider UK efforts which have seen thousands of Ukrainian troops trained in the UK over the last six months. The Prime Minister tasked the Defence Secretary with bringing together European allies to ensure the surge of global military support is as strategic and coordinated as possible.

The AS90 is a 155mm self-propelled gun that equips three field regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Artillery. The AS90 is fitted with a 155mm, 39-calibre gun barrel. In trials, two AS90 guns were able to deliver a total payload of 261kg on to a single target in less than ten seconds.

An automated loading system enables the gun to fire with a burst rate of three rounds in fewer than ten seconds, an intense rate of six rounds a minute for three minutes and a sustained rate of two rounds a minute. The gun is equipped with a recoil and hydrogas suspension system, which allows the turret to traverse and fire through a full 360°.