Ukraine's forces successfully use M777 howitzers against Russian army

In this material, we tell what the main advantages of the M777 howitzer are and how the Ukrainian Armed Forces use it against the enemy.

M777 as the basis of towed artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Today, the M777 howitzer is the most common type of 155-mm artillery system in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Since the beginning of the full-scale war with the Russian Federation, the Allies have supplied Ukraine with 136 units of these towed howitzers: 126 from the USA and 10 from Australia (six units) and Canada (four units).

In fact, this howitzer may become the main towed artillery system in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The only question is how many "barrels" the allies will be able to supply to the Ukrainian military. In open sources, you can find information that, for example, 481 howitzers are in service with the US Marine Corps, another 518 are active in the Army and National Guard, so the US currently has a stockpile of M777 howitzers to supply the Armed Forces. Canada and Australia still have about 90 howitzers, but they are unlikely to reduce their stocks.

The Howitzer M777 has a number of advantages over similar Soviet samples that are in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. First of all, it is its caliber, which allows you to destroy the enemy with more powerful ammunition. In addition, the artillerymen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine note the speed of deployment of this howitzer - it will take only one and a half minutes to bring the M777 into battle. In general, the preparation for shooting, together with the preparation of ammunition, takes less than 10 minutes.

What shells does the M777 use to destroy the enemy? 

The M777 artillery system can use different types of ammunition. First of all, it is an M795 projectile with a maximum firing range of 22.5 km and a mass of the explosive part of 10.8 kg (this is almost one and a half to two times more, if compared with the amount of explosive in 152 mm shells, the mass of which is from 4 to 6.8 kg).

Then there are M549 active-reactive projectiles, the maximum range of which is more than 30 km, the amount of explosive substance is 7.26 kg of explosive mixture Composition B (in the standard version) or 6.8 kg of TNT (in the M549A1 version).

Finally - the most interesting. Recently, one of the most modern and powerful versions of the American howitzer - the M777A2 - appeared in Ukraine. In this version, the M777 artillery system is equipped with a suite of digital devices, including GPS and PIK modules. This allows the Armed Forces to fire a number of guided projectiles. These include rounds such as the M982 Excalibur and M712 Copperhead, as well as the M1156 Precision Guidance Kit, which turns a regular 155mm round into a high-precision one. All of them are united by an increased maximum range (up to 40 km), as well as high accuracy - the circular probable deviation from the target in some cases is no more than 5 meters.

In the photo: M982 Excalibur high-precision projectile

Act according to all NATO standards

The charcteristics of the howitzer and shells alone are not enough to successfully destroy the enemy - how the M777 howitzer is used on the battlefield is also important. A vivid example of how artillerymen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine effectively operate this system is in the video from the operational command South.

It is worth highlighting one important detail - the artillerymen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine use the M777 alone, and not as part of a battery, when the howitzers are lined up in one line.  Such a tactic is much more difficult, as it requires a high level of training of the gunner and gun commander (since each howitzer must be individually aimed at the target), but it significantly reduces the risks of falling under counter-battery fire with the entire battery and allows the use of maneuverable hit-and-run tactics. Despite all the difficulties of implementing such tactics, it brings better results, and most importantly, it allows you to reduce the risks for howitzer calculations.

This tactic of using towed guns on the battlefield shows that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are abandoning the Soviet dogmas of fighting and are starting to fight according to NATO standards.