14:34 06.06.2022

M109A3 howitzers transferred by Norway already working on front line – Zaluzhny

2 min read
M109A3 howitzers transferred by Norway already working on front line – Zaluzhny

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has said that the American self-propelled howitzers M109A3, provided to Ukraine as part of international technical assistance by Norway, are already on the front line and hit targets with high accuracy and destroy the enemy.

"The M109A3 howitzers have a larger caliber and more powerful ammunition compared to their Soviet counterparts. The firing range is up to 22 km. But in the future we can use active-rocket projectiles that increase this distance. Experienced gunners also note the convenience of charges, sealed and absolutely identical, which affects the accuracy of the spread when fired," Zaluzhny wrote on Telegram on Saturday.

According to him, the Ukrainian military gained command of the M109A3 "with ease in one week."

"I am sincerely grateful to the Norwegian People for their effective help!" wrote the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Also, according to Zaluzhny, the key difference between these howitzers from Soviet models is that they are "made for people." "Despite the fact that these self-propelled howitzers were made back in the 1960s and 70s, they already have a steering wheel instead of levers, and an automatic transmission instead of a mechanical one. In winter, when icing of the hull is possible, the developers have slightly cut through it so that the crew does not slip. The soldiers were exulting even in such simple elements as baskets for personal belongings welded on the edges of the tower," he noted.

The Commander-in–Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stressed that he expects further support from partner countries in means of fire destruction of the enemy, whose advantage in artillery and multiple rocket launchers is the main reason for the losses of Ukrainian troops. "Without immediate supplies of long-range artillery and MLRS, it is increasingly difficult for us to restrain the aggressor," Zaluzhny stressed.

As reported, at the end of May, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov announced that Ukraine had already received a self-propelled artillery installation (ACS) M109 of one of the modifications. "This is a very high-quality technique. And its receipt was the result of cooperation between several countries," he said.

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