Didn’t Ukraine refuse to accept any more M777s after the fragile aluminum/titanium crappers started falling apart after ~30 shots ?
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The Ukies found the M777’s very, very unforgiving. They like the lighter weight and design , but start failing miserably when exceeding the rounds per minute guidelines. Maintenance? Real pigs. The Ukies don’t have the maintenance support field teams which resulted in having to be shipped back to Poland for repairs- many simply abandoned or never made the long trip back for repairs….the recoil system requires frequent nitrogen servicing for one….fact is the Russian D30’s are much preferred, “ robust”, and they can be also be used in an anti-tank role.
…..a real shame the Ukie’s D30’s have been clobbered by Vlads counter batteries and drones…only a fraction now surviving…..hence the “ we need more” cries by the Ukies- they are depleted, “ completely reduced” as Vlad says.
In fact, our US military has D30’s, and train on them.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a26028078/us-troops-d30-soviet-howitzer/
LOL, Some Americans are training on the system that some poor nations still use so that we can train them in it.
From your 2019 article
“U.S. troops tasked to advise and equip armies in smaller developing countries are learning how to operate an older, Soviet-era artillery piece. The Texas-based 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade is learning to operate the D-30 howitzer, a light artillery piece widely distributed during the Cold War so it can in turn train foreign militarizes on how to use it.”
“The Fort Hood-based 3rd SFAB is currently learning how to use D-30 howitzers, training their own artillerymen in how to use them on modern battlefields. Although old, D-30s are cheap and have a respectable range. The Afghan Army uses D-30 howitzers, and Afghanistan is currently the main destination for SFABs units.”