Ukrainian Armed Forces

[Soldier35]

Ukrainian mechanics have mastered the repair of US M777 howitzers. Repair units of the Ukrainian army have mastered the repair of individual components of American 155-mm towed howitzers M777. Despite the fact that Ukrainian companies do not have permission, in accordance with American export laws, to repair the barrels of American M777 howitzers, they are partially doing so. According to General of the Ukrainian Army Karpenko, after each “artillery contact” almost a third of the guns fail due to shrapnel and have to be repaired. Due to the lack of spare parts, mechanics have to assemble one howitzer from several and use civilian components, converting them into howitzers. For example, a pipe from one of the excavators was converted and installed on a howitzer. According to mechanics, some howitzers have already returned 3-4 times for repairs. The American 155 mm howitzer has been in production since 2005, it is a British designed howitzer, but final assembly is carried out in the USA. The firing range of a conventional projectile is 25 km, the active-reactive M982 Excalibur is about 40 kilometers, but they are already running out.