“Practice artillery”… (c)/Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Ukraine's victory is impossible without the liberation of the occupied territories. This means that we need a weapon that ensures a stable attack on the enemy, who has been building defensive structures in the same Kherson region for two months already.
Offensive army triad
Ukraine needs weapons from the so-called “offensive triad”. This is an attack aircraft that destroys enemy positions. These are tanks covering the infantry during the offensive. And this is light armored vehicles on which infantry moves, because they attack with their feet only in urban areas, and not in the steppes.
At the same time, individual elements of the victorious offensive triad can be replaced.
In particular, high-precision multiple launch rocket systems, long-range cannon artillery and kamikaze drones in sufficient numbers can replace ground attack aircraft.
But there is nothing to replace the tanks: if the infantry begins to advance in open areas, even in armored vehicles, then, God forbid, a third will reach the enemy positions. Ukraine is not Russia, we have no right to afford such losses.
There is nothing to replace lightly armored vehicles with. Because with relative equality in manpower, as we have on the front with Russia, an offensive becomes possible only when, due to the rapid transfer of people, it is possible to create a numerical superiority in a particular sector.
We have aviation, although the rashists have already destroyed it six times in a row. But our aviation is clearly not enough to make a breakthrough at the front and go over to a strategic offensive. I talked about NATO multiple launch rocket systems like M142 and M270 in a previous article. There is a chance that we will have as many as we need, but not before the end of July.
Gods of War
Now let's talk about cannon artillery. Do you know how a howitzer differs from a cannon? I will reveal a terrible military secret: nothing!
The difference is in the method of application. The gun mainly shoots in a flat trajectory when the projectile rises low on the ground. From the cannon they regularly hit with direct fire – this is when the enemy is close, he can be seen in the sight, as well as the result of the shot. And the howitzer shoots in a high arc, from afar, in fact – beyond the horizon. Direct fire is not the element of howitzers, there is no direct contact with the enemy, but a return salvo can always fly from him.
Our allies supply us with a whole family of howitzers, both towed and self-propelled. Towed, well, which are attached to a car – these are the American M777, we affectionately dubbed them “Three Axes”, and the Italian FH70. Self-propelled on a wheeled chassis – the French “Caesars” and the Slovak “Zuzans”. On caterpillar tracks – US M109 “Paladin”, Polish “Crabs” and German, please don't laugh, PH2000. There are also self-propelled ones – they are carried by a trailer, but they have a small engine that allows them to slowly crawl ten kilometers on their own to change position. In general, a whole zoo of deadly exotic animals. The main thing is that all these howitzers are unified according to NATO standards, that is, NATO shells with a caliber of 155 millimeters are suitable for them, including active reactive ones with an increased range. -B”, self-propelled “Msta-S”, “Carnations”, “Acacias”, “Peonies”. “Peony” is a powerful gun with a caliber of 203 millimeters, it can scare with one shot, not to mention a hit. When “Peonies” worked from the territory of CHPP-6, and this is thirty kilometers from the center of the capital, the whole of Kyiv shuddered and baptized.
And the same Soviet artillery equipment with a caliber, mainly 152 mm, is in service with the aggressor.
The newest thing there is a self-propelled 152 mm howitzer “Coalition”. It was named so because initially they wanted to install as many as two gun barrels in the tower. But then they changed their mind. Or the budget sawn in half was not enough. “Coalition” is capable of firing special projectiles for 70 kilometers. On the paper. Because it is the sister of the “Armata” tank, it terrifies the enemy only at parades in front of the mausoleum.
Misfortune helped
Ukrainian artillery suffers losses in battles. More importantly, the barrels of guns that are designed for five hundred/thousand shots wear out, then they need to be changed, and not for anything. And there was already a shortage of Soviet shells – unlike the Rashists, we do not have endless supplies.
But here, as they say, there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped. The exhaustion of Soviet stocks forced us to resolutely switch to the NATO standard. And all the listed western howitzers fire, as a rule, 10 kilometers farther than their rashist counterparts – you can not be afraid of answers. It’s embarrassing to talk about accuracy – superiority by an order of magnitude: where a NATO howitzer will need 10 shots, a Russian howitzer – as many as 100. number of shells.
In general, everything is good, but not enough. To turn the tide in the war and ensure a stable offensive, we need about five hundred howitzers of all kinds. And as for the ammunition, then evaluate for yourself: one day of intensive artillery preparation, for example, on the Donetsk front will require an echelon, or even two ammunition. Not a wagon – an echelon!
Yes, for the curious. I heard the expression “active-rocket projectile.” It's not a rocket that's been stuffed into a gun barrel. This is an ordinary projectile, but in the tail section it has a slowly burning powder charge. These powder gases fill the zone of turbulence that occurs behind a flying projectile, and due to improved aerodynamics, they add about a quarter to the range – simply and effectively.
Now about tanks
Nothing original here. Modernized Soviet ones are suitable, like those that Poland gave us. You can use the old NATO ones, like those “Leopards” that Germany intricately and unconvincingly promises us through Greece.
All these armored vehicles are capable of providing an offensive mission. But for this it is necessary that on a specific sector of the front they be concentrated from 200 pieces. Then this will make it possible to create a steel fist and ensure a breakthrough in the enemy's defense.
And we already, in principle, have such a number. Provided that we do not fall under missile attacks during storage and do not lose these tanks before the battlefield.
War transport
Well, in conclusion, about transport for the transfer of military personnel. It would seem that with this we should not have any problems. Because since 2014 we have been trying to rivet something of our own – we have adopted six variants of KrAZ armored vehicles alone: KrAZ Spartan, KrAZ Cougar, KrAZ Cobra, KrAZ Shrek, KrAZ Outpost, KrAZ “Raptor”. And then there are “Kozak”, “Varta”, “Innovator” and others. Plus, modified Soviet armored personnel carriers based on the BTR-3 and BTR-4.
But all the new equipment is at the front in quantities of tens, but not hundreds of units. In addition, it is not reliable, since it has not really gone through real improvements based on the results of operation in the troops.
Therefore, you have to rely mainly on surviving Soviet samples, as well as on the supplies of our allies – all these Dutch Bushmasters, British Wolfhounds, Canadian Senators and other American Humvees.
And the last. Old military wisdom says: it is not so important what weapon, it is important in whose hands. And with this, everything is just as it should be in the Ukrainian army. Therefore, not soon, hard, but we will win!
