Artillery could be a game changer for Ukraine in holding off Russians forces

 Streiff:

...

... for the battle Ukraine is fighting right now, the right weapons are being supplied: modern artillery and lots of ammunition.

Ukraine started the war with about 1,800 Soviet-era artillery pieces. Many were in disrepair, and most did not have a trained gun crew assigned; they were missing meteorological equipment, gun chronographs, counterbattery radar, reliable ammunition, and a host of other things that makes the artillery the King of Battle and the God of War.

Nearly 200 modern artillery tubes have been pledged, and about half delivered. A third of those are self-propelled guns; the remainder is towed. Most are the excellent M-777 howitzer. Over 40 top-shelf multiple launchers are pledged, and about half are in Ukraine. Over thirty modern counterbattery radar units have been committed; about half have arrived.  About 180,000 rounds of modern 155mm ammunition have been provided.

What does this mean, and why is it essential in the ongoing battles in Ukraine?

Russia is making limited progress in the central battle for control of Ukraine, the battle unfolding in western Donbas (read my tactical assessment in 10 Days Into Putin’s ‘New Phase’ of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, There Are Minor Advances but the Clock Is Ticking). The nature of this battle is much more like Russian doctrine than the bold, multi-pronged attack of February 24 that showed the Russian Army didn’t have the skill, will, or ability to carry out the plans generated by the General Staff. Now they’ve settled into the old Minnesota Viking offense of “one yard in a cloud of dust.”

...

They are saying that Russian artillery is devolving back to what we’d expect to see on the Eastern Front in 1944-1945. The primary focus of Russian artillery is what can be seen from the front lines. It looks like the proliferation of MANPADS is preventing Russian drones from operating beyond the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA). Without drones and with what appears to me minimal electronic warfare capability, Russian artillery can’t hit targets deep behind the lines. Instead, the Russians are swamping areas with artillery fire and moving cautiously beyond them, taking care to stay within range of resupply. This kind of movement takes time, and it will never create the conditions for a significant advance.

The artillery and ancillary materials sent to Ukraine by the West will give Ukraine qualitative advantages over Russia in several areas.

Equipment.

M-777 155mm ultra-lightweight howitzer. Don’t be fooled by the towed part. It was designed to be used by the USMC, the 82d Airborne, and 101st Airborne, where weight is at a premium. Each gun can locate itself and calculate the firing solution to a target.

...

US M-270 Multiple Rocket Launch System. The key advantage of this weapon is that it potentially outranges anything produced by Russia (depending upon the ammunition type). With integrated with Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, it can reach supply and communications nodes, artillery, and artillery and air defense systems. This is what the general uses to take care of something vital.

...

AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder counterbattery radar system. This system locates incoming artillery and mortar fire from up to 15 miles away. As soon as the round clears mask, that is, appears above the surface clutter on the horizon, the Q-36 can calculate the point of origin and point of impact to within 10 meters. It can be linked directly to firing batteries and literally carry out counterfire missions on enemy artillery before their first round hits the ground.

...

There is much more including photos and videos of these weapons in operation. As Streiff points out, in the early days of the war the Javelins slowed the Russian advance and did great damage to their tanks.  Now it is the artillery that is delivering explosive shells in greater numbers to slow and stop the Russian advances.  The weapons being supplied by the US and NATO are also superior to those currently in use by the Russians.