Posted on 11/26/2022 1:04:44 PM PST by Its All Over Except ...
Ukraine is facing technical problems with western artillery amid war with Russia. According to New York Times, one-third of the howitzers sent to Ukraine have developed snags. A U.S. official said that a third of the 350 howitzers sent by the west to Ukraine are out of action. The New York Times reported that the United States Department of Defense is concerned over the development. The U.S. reportedly set up a repair facility in Poland to fix "faulty" weapons, the NYT reported.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at -hindustantimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org ...
‘The fatal weaknesses of the American M777 howitzer in Ukraine battlefield’
https://www.defenceview.in/the-fatal-weaknesses-of-the-american-m777-howitzer-in-ukraine-battlefield/
They are being heavily used and need to get new barrels. It is normal. I’m sorry that the Kremlin apologists you rely on are ignorant of artillery.
Nice thing about a 105 is you can still fire them even with worn tubes, only problem with it is the rounds don’t necessarily go where you want them to.
The M777 doesn’t appear to be a good candidate for a sling load to take to a mountain.
And I read an article a few weeks ago about a truck designed by Ukrainians for maintenance and rebuilding equipment in the field. It’s likely that some engineer machine tool trucks have also been donated by NATO nations and others.
Sounds like what I did back in 1968, most of ours were 105’s with a couple of batteries of 155’s.
It was over 50 years ago for me but it doesn’t sound like the procedures have changed much in that time, we were called “computers with a pencil”.
On the chart table I was known as the L/Cpl with the calibrated eyeballs.
SEMPER FI
Yeah, and the vaunted Russian artillery ain’t much better.
Hell, Russian troops don’t even know HOW to use most of their artillery systems.
But yeah, make a big deal out of the fact gun barrels wear out and need to be replaced.🙄
“So Russian arty barrels don’t wear out either?”
Oh, they do.
The difference is the Russians keep firing their junk until the tubes explode killing most of the crew.🤣
I’m thinking too few howitzers. As of September the US alone had provided Ukraine with 800,000 rounds of 155mm ammo. If Ukraine has fired all that off (and there have been subsequent ammo shipments) the said 350 guns have shot off well over 2000 rounds on average, which is way more than the designed duty cycle for this sort of gun. They are wearing out and need overhaul, certainly barrel replacements.
… and tank barrels even less. Especially the smoothbores, eh?
I think they are 155s
“”Indian newspapers often present the US and Europe versus their adversaries as both sides are losing, while India comes out ahead for it. This story is based of spinning a NYT story.
The NYT source is: Artillery Is Breaking in Ukraine. It’s Becoming a Problem for the Pentagon.
Notice what is directly under the headline: “Ukrainian soldiers are firing thousands of shells daily, forcing the U.S. to replace gun barrels across the border in Poland.”
For those who don’t know better, like journalists, and those who should know better and pretend they don’t, this means the US sent artillery to Ukraine, and the artillery’s maintenance to Poland at the same time.
This is a non story over a non existent problem.””
Yep, this is a silly thread.
—”… and tank barrels even less. Especially the smoothbores, eh?”
Not exactly my old line of work, but have been around a bit and heard some of their stories.
And so many new and improved variations.
Some fire missiles...
What I have heard is the smoothbore tank barrels do outlast the rifled barrels. But it was from old guys talking about old times?
Many on FR that would know the topic well.
“The M777 doesn’t appear to be a good candidate for a sling load to take to a mountain”
At 9,300lbs, the 777 is about 41% lighter than the 15,772lb M198 that it replaced.
In terms of emplacement, the 777 is ready to fire in 2 minutes. The 198 took 6 and a half minutes.
Displacement, the 777 is ready to move in about 2 and a half minutes. The 198 takes almost 11 minutes.
The max rate of fire for the 777 is 7 rounds per minute, with a sustained rate of 2rpm. The max for the 198 was 4rpm, with a sustained of 2rpm.
The minimum crew for the 777 is 5. The 198 needs 9
The 198 needed barrel replacement after 1,500 rounds. The M776 Full-Bore Chrome Tubes used on the 777 are rated to around 2,500 rounds
“Hmm. There are hundreds of billions in Russian assets sequestered in Europe, the US and elsewhere. Oh where oh where will Ukraine get the money to rebuild? Oh wait, I spy with my little eye...”
The resident KGB/FSB trolls will end up seeing their paychecks reduced to pay for the reparations that their beloved Rodina and Putin will have to pay to rebuild Ukraine.
Part of the idea of smart artillery rounds is you do not have to fire nearly as many.==
Exactly but these need the targeting correction on the final part of trajectory. Otherwise it is no difference of dumb shell but less capacity because of less charge in it. And how Ukies can do that targeting?
America doesn’t give them those drones with laser pointering. And if she did give them then those drones are sitting ducks for any Russian AA machine.
“Hmm. There are hundreds of billions in Russian assets sequestered in Europe, the US and elsewhere. Oh where oh where will Ukraine get the money to rebuild? Oh wait, I spy with my little eye...”
The resident KGB/FSB trolls will end up seeing their paychecks reduced to pay for the reparations that their beloved Rodina and Putin will have to pay to rebuild Ukraine.===
Reality check. Actually Russia sequestered in turn about $500 blns of western investments and credits into Russian economy. It is a fact.
So you may imagine that as soon as West will seize Russian assets (which just frozen now not seized!) Russia in turn will seize those $500 blns. She already forbidded repairing of this money to West. SO you see? $500 blns for $300. Russia will benefit from it.
With universal satellite coverage for all parties, it is very difficult to hide anything anywhere for very long anymore.
You simply cannot hide massive amounts of artillery ammunition. The vehicles have to go from the source to the guns and back again. They are absurdly easy to track by satellite or high flying drones that are very difficult to shoot down. All of that is backed up by human intelligence assets on the ground, which are multiplied in a conquest type situation.
Smart munitions use a combination of GPS and inertial guidance. They do not need lasers. They only need targeting correction if the target is moving. Even then, some of the artillery launched smart munitions have independent loitering ability and sensors to pick out moving local targets on their own.
What I am describing is at least a decade old, so everything is considerably more refined than I was working with/on a decade ago.
The latest drones use a combination of mapped terrain memory, GPS, and inertial guidance systems. Nearly impossible to jam.
With universal satellite coverage for all parties, it is very difficult to hide anything anywhere for very long anymore.==
Satellite coverage? Meaning you fire laser from an orbit? I’d like to see such satellite with such huge powerbank for such energy spending like laser for 200 miles and also such pointing will give opposite party all right to shoot down such satellite. Which is lot easier than to shoot down a drone because satellite can’t maneuver. It is going always same speed, altitude and direction.
Smart munitions use a combination of GPS and inertial guidance. ==
GPS is easy jammable. But inertial guidance? Good but the precision will go down significantly. And I doubt you may cram reliable gyro into a artillery’s shell. So it is a hoax.
The latest drones use a combination of mapped terrain memory, GPS, and inertial guidance systems. Nearly impossible to jam.==
Drone yes. But drones are sitting ducks themselves and can’t approach closer then 100 miles or be shot down. If drone will emit anything then it will be useful for homing on this drone. Drone will drag the AA missile to itself literally.
Drones are workable only against 3-world country or guerillas as in Afghanistan.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.