Ukraine abusing artillery causing damage with 1/3 out of commission

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WhatInThe

SF VIP
Ukraine is firing so many artillery shells, the most since the Korean War the artillery is breaking down damaging the barrels. They then have to be sent away for repairs/replacement. About 30% of their artillery is out of commission. Many part of a system from western allies including the US.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/ukraine-artillery-pieces-breaking-down/

They're probably not performing enough maintenance. Also many heavy weapons need cooling periods. If they fire too many rounds too close together the barrel could over heat and be open to damage.

Hopefully they've been hitting their intended target.
 

Maintenance on US-supplied weapons for Ukraine is done by teams of US Army techs, based in Poland.

Titanium makes for a lighter-weight weapon but doesn't always last as long as steel, making the howitzers less durable for heavy use than the previous (shorter-range) rocket launchers. The US Army found this out in 2017 when the howitzers were used by the Marines in Syria while fighting the Islamic State; three of the four howitzers had to be replaced after 5 months, rather than the normal 5-year usage of peacetime.

Artillery Is Breaking in Ukraine. It’s Becoming a Problem for the Pentagon.
NY Times 25Nov2022
Free (unlocked) link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/25/...4jUeNUoor_8_xVDxIGFVDqHUxz9JJY&smid=share-url
 
Lethe200 said:
Maintenance on US-supplied weapons for Ukraine is done by teams of US Army techs, based in Poland.
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That's full maintenance but there's probably some field maintenance they're skipping. Could be basic like routine inspections or some basic cleaning and lubrication. Being many of the pieces are made of less durable materials one would think they would need/require more monitoring than older pieces.
 

The Ukrainians are outgunned by the Russians so of course they have to fire the weapons they have as much as they can. At least they are not running away and leaving their assets behind as the Russians have done.

Perhaps the Pentagon needs to look carefully at the quality of the artillery they have been commissioning.
 
Warrigal said:
The Ukrainians are outgunned by the Russians so of course they have to fire the weapons they have as much as they can. At least they are not running away and leaving their assets behind as the Russians have done.

Perhaps the Pentagon needs to look carefully at the quality of the artillery they have been commissioning.
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They are needed and will be used but they also have alot of tech that makes weapons more accurate. Even German supplied Howizters are experiencing similar issues

https://eurasiantimes.com/ukraines-germany-supplied-pzh-2000-howitzers-are-breaking/?amp

This is being blamed on the lack of spare parts in the field. But again basic maintenance like cleaning, lubrication and inspection is essential on most ballistic weapons even rifles. And one has to track how long and how many rounds they fired in a short period of time. Over heating will cause mechanical issues.
 
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WhatInThe said:
They are needed and will be used but they also have alot of tech that makes weapons more accurate. Even German supplied Howizters are experiencing similar issues

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/ukraine-artillery-pieces-breaking-down/

This is being blamed on the lack of spare parts in the field. But again basic maintenance like cleaning, lubrication and inspection is essential on most ballistic weapons even rifles. And one has to track how long and how many rounds they fired in a short period of time. Over heating will cause mechanical issues.
Click to expand...
Continued firing of any weapon causes the barrel to heat, which in turn raises the pressure inside the barrel, which in turn causes rifling to occur. After that occurs, the only option is to replace the barrel. I’m talking about the big guns, not rifles the troops are using.

If you have been following the war, which I haven’t been doing this week, but Russia at least appears to be advancing deeper into Ukraine. Last week, Russia had fired somewhere around 100 STS missiles, but the Ukraines were able to knock down about 75% of them.
 
When talking about German artillery the link was incorrect an updated it apologies.

https://eurasiantimes.com/ukraines-germany-supplied-pzh-2000-howitzers-are-breaking/?amp

Also the Russians may be having similar issues especially since they instituted a draft which means many will do as little as possible. And the fact they are using rockets & missiles which are single use weapons could be a sign. It's not just a war on the battlefield it's logistics and training that includes fixing and maintaining weapons & gear in the field.

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/09...y-import-challenges-six-months-into-invasion/
 

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