Howitzers apparently can’t handle the demands of combat
German artillery guns break down a month after being delivered to Ukraine, Der Spiegel reported on Friday. The weapons would struggle to cope with the high rate of fire the Ukrainian military subjects them to.
Some of the seven Panzerhaubitze 2000 guns sent to Ukraine at the end of June show signs of “normal wear and tear,” the German news site reported, citing unnamed sources. Some hardware displays error messages and needs to be repaired.
The German military believes that the problems stem from the large number of shells fired daily by Ukrainian forces, which damage the loading mechanism of the howitzers. Firing 100 rounds a day is considered high-intensity use, the report notes, adding that Ukrainians fire “much more” than this number.
Despite apparently overloading the German guns, the kyiv forces still fire only a fraction of the shells the Russian army sends back. Ukrainian officials said earlier this month that their guns passed through 6,000 shells a day, compared to Russia’s 20,000. This workload is also not spread over an equal number of artillery pieces, with Russia fielding 15 for each Ukrainian unit.
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Diversity of Western weapons creates problems for Ukraine – media
With ammunition stocks running low, Ukraine also attempted to fire ammunition incompatible with German howitzers, Der Spiegel reported. After learning that its guns could not fire high-precision ammunition, the German military has since sent spare parts to remedy the situation, according to the report.
Berlin would also work to set up a repair center in Poland to put the howitzers back into action.
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 are not the only foreign weapon that has apparently failed on the Ukrainian battlefield. Captured Ukrainian troops described Javelin missile launchers – shoulder-fired units sent by the UK and US – as “completely useless” in urban combat, as soldiers would experience battery issues with the NLAW “making it impossible to use.”
German Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, five of which were donated to Ukraine, also encountered compatibility issues with their Norwegian ammunition, Der Spiegel noted. This mix of weapon systems from different vendors has been identified by British and American analysts as presenting a “serious challenge” for Kyiv.
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