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TRF1 towed 155 mm howitzers

In order to replenish the arsenal, Kyiv purchased French 155-mm howitzers TRF1. In 2022 a couple of TR-F1 howitzers were delivered to Ukraine in order to defend against the Russian invasion. It was planned that more of these howitzers will be delivered to Ukraine. In early September 2022, French media, citing their own sources, reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine purchased TRF1 howitzers which were removed from service by the French army. France sent 15 towed 155mm TRF1 howitzers to the Armed Forces of Ukraine - Le Monde newspaper reported Oct 13, 2022.

French government sent Ukraine TRF1 towed 155 mm howitzers, which Nexter Systems (French government-owned weapons manufacturer) started producing in 1984. Despite the “age”, this weapons have much better characteristics than russian 2A65 Msta-B towed 152.4 mm howitzers.

As for the TRF1, it is able to be quickly put into action [less than five minutes] and requiring eight gunners, it has a rate of fire of 3 shots in 15 seconds in rapid mode or 6 shots in one minute in “classic” mode. Its tube must be changed every 3,000 shots. This artillery weapon is able to move independently at a speed of 8 km/h, has an autoloader. It is noted that in the French army it replaced the 155-mm howitzer Modele 50. The TRF1 has a range of 24 kilometers with conventional projectiles and 30 kilometers with rockets, and a rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute.

There were about 105 units of TRF1 towed howitzers in the arsenal of French army. As French L’Opinion newspaper reports, the howitzers of such a type are no longer in a service (except 12 of them that still works properly in a regiment stationed in Djibouti). Decommissioned TRF1 towed howitzers have been acquired by a broker S2M-Equipment – private French company that Ukrainians have bought the howitzers in. According to L’Opinion, the process of restoring and transferring of the howitzers to Ukraine is under control of Ministry of Defense of France.

The TRF1 howitzer is a predecessors of CAESAR self-propelled howitzer. This gun have been having high performance characteristics for years. That’s why CAESAR have been partly developed on TRF1 base and chosen for rearmament of French army in 2000’s.

The main activity of the company S2M-Equipment, established in Montlouis-sur-Loire, is to restore, even modernize, equipment that has previously been used by the French forces in order to put them on the second-hand market. . Thus, its catalog offers Armored Forward Vehicles [VAB] and ERC-90 Sagaie having found a second youth, as well as P4s, VLRAs and… 155 mm TRF1 towed guns. While, during a meeting organized in Ramstein [Germany], on 08 September 2023, S2M Equipment should supply the Ukrainian army with TRF1s. This is indeed what Jean-Dominique Merchet, of the daily L'Opinion, revealed.

“These guns are no longer in service with the Army, except for a handful of them in a regiment stationed in Djibouti. Destocked, they were acquired by a broker – the company S2M-Equipment […]. It was from her that the Ukrainians bought the TRF1s, the Ministry of the Armed Forces having 'accompanied their certification'”, argued Mr. Merchet. Such a sale must first be authorized by the Interministerial Commission for the study of war material exports [CIEEMG], which raised no objections.

Ukraine received six TRF1 155mm towed howitzers from France. It is reported 12 December 2022 by Ouest-France with reference to French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.