Monday, November 28, 2022

West-Supplied Howitzers Are Breaking Down In Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers fire a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer at Russian positions in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on June 21. Ukrainian soldiers are firing thousands of shells daily, forcing the U.S. to replace gun barrels across the border in Poland. | TYLER HICKS / THE NEW YORK TIMES 

DNYUZ/New York Times: Artillery is breaking in Ukraine. It’s becoming a problem for the Pentagon. 

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian troops fire thousands of explosive shells at Russian targets every day, using high-tech cannons supplied by the United States and its allies. But those weapons are burning out after months of overuse, or being damaged or destroyed in combat, and dozens have been taken off the battlefield for repairs, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. 

A third of the roughly 350 Western-made howitzers donated to Kyiv are out of action at any given time, according to U.S. defense officials and others familiar with Ukraine’s defense needs. 

 Swapping out a howitzer’s barrel, which can be 20 feet long and weigh thousands of pounds, is beyond the capability of soldiers in the field and has become a priority for the Pentagon’s European Command, which has set up a repair facility in Poland.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The New York Times admits that the facilities that can repair these howitzers are not available in Ukraine. That they must be repaired outside in places like Poland. But to ship these weapons the trains must be used .... hence Russia's targeting of the electrical grid and crippling Ukraine's train network.

This war is primarily being conducted by artillery. If Ukraine cannot solve this equipment failure, this war of attrition will eventually end very badly for Ukraine.

West-Supplied Howitzers Are Breaking Down In Ukraine  

Pentagon builds artillery repair facility for Ukraine in Poland, reports NYT -- New Voice of Ukraine  

Ukraine is firing so many barrages its artillery pieces are breaking down -- Task & Purpose  

German PzH 2000 howitzers getting worn down in Ukraine -- New Voice of Ukraine

21 comments:

RussInSoCal said...

NYT muckraking about heavily used military equipment needing repairs.


NEWS,
AT,
ELEVEN,

R,

Anonymous said...

Big freaking deal. La de da

It is called use. It is called barrel wear.

I bet Russian artillery tubes wear out also.

That they are wearing out is expected. All that matters is the logistics and the balance of power.

The tubes wearing out is actually a good thing in a zen like way.

Anonymous said...

Matter of fact I know where the nearest howitzer refurbishment center is. It is within Sunday driving distance.

Anonymous said...

Somebody just said try quer in english lol

Anonymous said...

After destroying all russian military equipment now this tells us that west howitzers are worn out.

roger29palms said...


So if we can't keep up with Ukraine's needs, short of resorting to nukes, how is Russia or China, etc. to be beaten in a larger conflict should such a scenario come to be? It's already well documented the vaunted F-35 is a logistics hog with large numbers not ready for war. Add the F-22, ships, and stocks of various items needed in a major conflict, much of which is sent by vulnerable ship convoys....

Anonymous said...

Heavily-used, but not heavy-duty. Designed with air-transport in mind or something.

Anonymous said...

Fare thee well,
Fair Formosa

Anonymous said...

You should go there. They can always use more big tools

Amp1776 said...

That's what happens when the parts are made in China.

Anonymous said...

Well its different if we were able to have repairs done in ukraine. Thats the problem. Moving howz across the country for repair then bringing them back is slow obviously

fazman said...

Breaking down and wearing out are 2 entirely different things. For every worn barrell is a Russian scrap heap and a full morgue

Anonymous said...

Weapons wear out with use. M4 barrels, M777 and M120s they all have usage limits.

The problem is logistics. Who can get there fastest with the mostest kinda of thing. Many on this blog have stated that time is on Russias side. Looking at this war from purely a logistics standpoint.....they are right.

With Russian industrial base being intact, have short lines of re-supply and self supporting material resources. They are at definite advantage. Add to this that the high cost of the conflict will take months, maybe years to really hurt that nation, the conflict in this regard is one sided.

Other other factors to be considered in this war?

Absolutely. War is not a one trick pony, it is a many faceted endeavor. But logistically the Russians currently have the advantage.

A different point

The WNU editor is correct. Bombing (did we not have this discussion yesterday?) the Ukrainians industrial base, electric grid and transportation links will give the Russians even a greater advantage. This is a prelude to a ground offensive. Same pattern the US followed in the gulf. Surprise bombing campaign opens up. Bomb for as long as you need to sufficiently weaken the enemy and then the ground attack.

Anonymous said...

The Russian logistics lines are shit as are the overall logistics of equipping the mobiks.

Anonymous said...

look at a map . The Russian log lines are short to the zone of conflict.

Russian log support maybe not up to US standards, but it does not have to be. All it needs to do is function in a "ok". fashion, which it does.

Bombing the enemies logistic systems give the Russian system an added boost, because it slows the competition.

Anonymous said...

Russ does another selfie

Anonymous said...

The Russian log lines are short to the zone of conflict.

someone failed math LMAO

Anonymous said...

Well there is another informative comment by the ukie clown trolls
They can't handle the truth

Anonymous said...

ok genius. Why are Russian logistic lines not short to the zone of conflict

Anonymous said...

10:52

You can color a map with just 4 colors.

Anonymous said...

Yes you are a retard