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Ukraine - M109 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer

The M109 is an American self-propelled artillery system used by the United States Army as well as several other countries. Paladin self-propelled guns are manufactured by BAE Systems. They are equipped with 155 mm howitzers, the firing range of which varies between 24 and 40 km. The M109A6 can fire four rounds per minute. The Paladin installation boasts a NAVSTAR radio navigation system. It was developed in the early 1960s. During production, it was repeatedly modernized. It was also produced under a licensing agreement in South Korea back in the 1990s.

Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine received M109 self-propelled howitzers. "M109 self-propelled guns of one of the modifications have already arrived in Ukraine. This is a very high-quality technique. And its receipt was the result of the cooperation of several countries." They have also demonstrated the howitzers in action.

Norway officially handed over to Ukraine 23 artillery systems in the M109A3GN version, which is a German modernization of the American M109A3, armed with a new 39-caliber length barrel from the FH70.

Norway has handed over a new batch of military aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The local mass media TV2.no reported about this 25 November 2022. So far, Norway had donated 22 of these for use in the war against Russia. It is emphasized that the cargo was delivered in secret. In Norway, a small number of people were informed about the upcoming shipment. Since the war started, Norway had prioritized providing weapons support, material and ammunition.

The armed forces had just replaced the M109 artillery launcher with new artillery from South Korea, but still have the M109 in stock. 22 of these have been donated, along with associated equipment, spare parts and ammunition. Norway has also contributed to Ukrainian forces having the competence to operate the launchers. This training took place in Germany.

"Ukraine has gained increased fighting power through these donations. There is no doubt about it. They now have a weapon that gives them the opportunity to use NATO's standard ammunition", said Colonel Kristian Lien, Head of Artillery and Combat Air Defense at Rena. Norway has also trained Ukrainian soldiers on how to use the system. The training was conducted in Germany.

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces depend on Western support and are in need of weapons and equipment to withstand Russian attacks. Ukraine has specifically requested this type of weapon. The development in the war in Ukraine now suggests that it is necessary to also donate heavier artillery and weapons’ systems,” says Norwegian Minister of Defence, Bjørn Arild Gram.

According to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of 04 June 2022 M109A3 self-propelled howitzers, provided as part of Norway's international technical assistance, were already at the frontline, hitting targets with high accuracy and destroying the enemy. "As my gunners note, the key difference between these guns and the Soviet models is that they are made for people. Despite the fact that these self-propelled howitzers were manufactured back in the 1960s and 70s, they already have a steering wheel instead of levers, and an automatic transmission instead of a mechanical one. During the winter, when icing of the hull is possible, the developers have slightly rubberized it so that the crew does not slip. Soldiers were happy even with such simple elements as the tower baskets welded on the edges for personal belongings.

"Regarding the technical characteristics, the M109A3 howitzers have a larger caliber and more powerful ammunition compared to their Soviet counterparts. The firing range is up to 22 km. But in the future, we can use active-reactive projectiles that increase this distance. Experienced gunners also note the convenience of the charges, which are sealed and absolutely identical, which affects the accuracy of the flight when firing. My people easily mastered the M109A3 in one week."

Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, reported that Lithuania handed over 6 M109 self-propelled guns to Ukraine. Lithuania acquired these systems in Austria in the M109A5OE version, which Ukraine probably received. The Austrian M109A5OE version has a number of unique features that differ from the standard one. The modified system has an inertial fire control system and a semi-automatic loading system.

Latvia delivered six more M109 howitzers to the Ukrainian army, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on 16 Aogust 2022. Reznikov thanked his Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks for the new weapons, and noted that the howitzers are already operating at the front. "Six more M109 howitzers that have recently arrived in Ukraine from Latvia are already showing results on the battlefield," Reznikov said.

It was repeatedly reported that the UK bought Belgian self-propelled howitzers M109 from a private defense company for Ukraine. Presumably, the UK bought more than 20 Belgian version M109A4BE ACSs, which have a M185 gun (39-caliber barrel length) on the M178 turret.

On 21 July 2022 Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced in an update to Parliament that more than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns and 36 L119 105mm artillery guns will soon arrive from the UK. Counter-battery radar systems and more than 50,000 rounds of ammunition for Ukraine’s existing Soviet era artillery will also follow.

The uplift came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in June that the UK would provide another £1 billion of military support to Ukraine. The funding, which brings UK military support and broader regional activity since the outbreak of war to £2.3bn, will herald a new phase in the international community’s support, enabling Ukraine to go beyond their valiant defence against the illegal Russian invasion and mount offensive operations.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency [DSCA] has been instrumental in helping Ukraine's military to obtain critical equipment to help them defend their nation. The U.S. provided both equipment and training to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty against an illegal invasion by Russia that began in February 2022. Ukrainian artillerymen loaded an M109 self-propelled howitzer, during training at Grafenwoehr Training Area, May 2022. Soldiers from the U.S. and Norway trained Armed Forces of Ukraine artillerymen on the howitzers as part of security assistance packages from their respective countries. By June 15, 2022 the unit had trained 420 Ukrainians on the M777 howitzer, 300 Ukrainians on the self-propelled M109, 129 on the 113 armored personnel carrier, 100 on unmanned aerial systems and 60 most recently on the HIMARS.

For the first time, the USA will deliver M109 Paladin self-propelled guns to Ukraine. The volume of the batch will be 18 units. Artillery installations with automatic guidance were included by Washington in another package of military aid. This was reported on 08 January 2023 by reporter Jack Detch. On January 6, the leadership of the Pentagon announced the transfer to the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of installations with an automatic guidance system. The modification of the self-propelled guns was not named by the representative of the defense department. The US Army has M109A6 installations and modernized M109A7 self-propelled guns. The last ones were released in 2012.

M109 Paladin

The M109 Paladin self propelled howitzer was produced in seven variants since its origin (1963) and still is one of the most popular of the type worldwide. In 2022, it was reported that Kyiv would receive FH-70 howitzers and American-made M109 self-propelled artillery mounts from Rome. According to unofficial information from various sources, Italy planned to transfer 30-60 M109s of various modifications.

The passage of a train convoy carrying dozens of M109 self-propelled guns 16 April 2023 created astonishment among the passengers of the Udine railway station. The train, which was filmed on mobile phones by some people, passed through the yard at very low speed. According to one observer, these would be 155 mm "M109" self-propelled tanks apparently without any identifying insignia.

As the Minister of Relations with Parliament Luca Ciriani specified to Rainews, they would be "self-propelled artillery on tracks" directed to Ukraine and would be part of a military aid package "deliberated by the previous government and which are being delivered this week". Vehicles kept in Italian warehouses which, once they arrive in Ukraine, will probably have to be overhauled and put back into operation.

Despite Italian government keeping aid to Ukraine under secrecy, Several videos shot in Ukraine have shown the powerful M109Ls firing at the Russian lines. And thus they testify to how important Italy's contribution to the military operations of the resistance is. Among those already present at the front and those taken back in Udine, there are at least thirty tracked howitzers, while some sources speak of an even double number: a total of sixty vehicles have already been delivered to the Kiev forces or will be in the near future.

Italy plans to transfer a total of 60 M109 self-propelled artillery howitzers to Ukraine in the near future, some of them are already on the frontline. This was reported by Italian publication La Republica, writes European Pravda. According to the publication, dozens of howitzers were repaired at the expense of the United States, and some of them are already on the front line. The decision to transfer these systems was made by the government of Mario Draghi. the M109L self-propelled howitzers had to undergo a check of their technical conditions before being sent to Ukraine.

"For weeks now, videos filmed in Ukraine have shown powerful M109L firing at Russian positions. These videos testify to the importance of Italy's contribution to military resistance operations," the publication says. According to sources of the publication, a total of sixty howitzers have already been provided to Kyiv or will be delivered in the near future.

Italian Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani confirmed to the local broadcaster that the weapons in question were on their way to Ukraine. These howitzers are part of a military assistance package approved by the government of ex-Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, which was in power until October 2022. The military operating M109 self-propelled guns shared that they are satisfied with this artillery system.

Some of the military hardware given to Ukraine by Italy earlier this year was not combat-ready, the Financial Times reported on 29 April 2023. A top adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky revealed that the country needs even more weapons to pull off a successful counteroffensive. The FT report quoted an anonymous adviser to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry as saying that none of the “20 self-propelled howitzers Italy provided to Ukraine earlier this year was battle ready.”

Otokar-made Cobra II armored vehicles were seen 13 April 2023 in Romania at Bacau Train station while headed towards Ukraine. Previously, there was no public information that the Ministry of Defense of Romania ordered new Turkish armored vehicles. It is possible that the cars transit through Romania to another country. The direction is stated as Ukraine on social media accounts, TurDef confirmed the train's direction from open-source information. This, however, does not prove that the end user is Ukraine. Platforms were loaded on open railway cars. The train was moving towards Chernivitsi, Ukraine. The number of vehicles can be counted around 20.

TurDef has investigated Otokar’s declarations to Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), as its shares are held at Istanbul Stock Exchange. Companies must make a statement to KAP if the contract is above a specific limit. TurDef, therefore, assumes that the contract information was not shared at KAP. It is known that the Ukrainian Army lost a high number of vehicles during conflicts, and the requirement is still ongoing. This footage, however, does not prove that Ukraine is the end user. The cars are painted dark green, and there is no Ukrainian mark on the vehicles.

Cobra II is a proven vehicle that fulfils mine-resistant armoured protection mobility of footmobile units thanks to its monocoque structure. The Cobra II design is standard: engine in the front, crew in the middle and landing compartment in the back. The armored vehicle belongs to the MRAP type, that is, it has high anti-mine and ballistic protection.

The new product from the Turkish company Otokar has a modular design and can change the configuration depending on the tasks. Cobra II is able to transport up to 11 people in various layout options, it can be made at the request of the customer with 3 or 5 doors. As weapons, it is possible to install combat modules or turrets for machine guns, as well as internal space for placing various equipment.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.msmholding.sk/content/msm-tech-listy-122mm-jrof-grad-1.pdf The conflict in Ukraine brings back to reality the most dangerous scenarios of a clash of nuclear powers, which could lead to catastrophic consequences. This was announced on 28 April 2023 at a meeting of defense ministers of the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said the head of the Belarusian department Viktor Khrenin. "It [the conflict in Ukraine] acted as a trigger for the transformation of the system of international relations and the security architecture that developed after the Second World War. This brings back the most dangerous scenarios for a clash of nuclear powers, fraught with catastrophic consequences," the press service of the Belarusian Defense Ministry quotes him. According to the minister, the conflict in Ukraine has become a hot phase of the global civilizational confrontation between the West and the East, caused by Washington's desire to maintain a global dominance. "Rivalry for the right to establish the basic principles of the world order has been launched. The aggravation of contradictions between the major powers contributes to the reduction of the role of supranational institutions and structures, the consistent erosion of the existing system of international law. Diplomatic and discussion clubs are losing their role as negotiating platforms. New forms of interstate cooperation based on commonality are replacing interests and the desire to promote them through joint efforts," Khrenin said. “In the absence of agreement between the leading global powers that have opposing visions of the world order, the importance of military force as a tool for realizing the national interests of various states is only increasing. The threshold for making decisions on its use is lowering,” the Belarusian defense minister noted.