Cannons are once again crucial to the war – this is how artillery was reborn

weapons technology
Cannons decide the war in Ukraine – this is how artillery was reborn

The US sent a large number of M777 howitzers to Ukraine,

© Efrem Lukatsky/ / Picture Alliance

The artillery was already considered written off. It is experiencing a renaissance in Ukraine. First the Russians used their destructive energy, then Kyiv countered with western precision missiles. How did the old-fashioned weapon become so important again?

Artillery is the god of war – that’s what Napoleon said and so did Stalin. But already in the Second World War, the power of the cannons no longer seemed so important. Tanks and planes dominated the battlefield. At least in the public eye. And since then, howitzers, mortars, and cannons seemed to have gone steadily downhill.

Drones plus cannons – a deadly combination

The war in Ukraine is now being dominated again by the “old” weapon artillery – in combination with the new type of drones. Artillery includes cannons, howitzers and multiple rocket launchers. Guns and howitzers differ in the angle of attack of the barrel, today almost only howitzers are built with a high angle. Multiple rocket launchers are all modeled after the “Stalin organ” – they don’t shoot projectiles with a propellant from a tube, but launch a group of rockets. Heavy mortars from USSR stocks are used only occasionally in Ukraine. The fighting in eastern Ukraine in 2014/2015 gave a foretaste of the future role of artillery. At the time, the West marveled at how the Russians turned their old artillery into an effective weapon with the help of simple drones. But today it seems that the US armed forces have implemented this lesson far better than the Russians.

Long range, low reconnaissance

How did that happen? Historically, as late as the Napoleonic era, guns were almost always used “on sight”. Although mortar shells arc high, gunners can usually literally see their target. In addition, the troops at that time did not disguise themselves, but stood close together in colorful uniforms, marched and fought. The targets were therefore easy to spot and, despite the inaccuracy of the cannons, to be engaged. During the 19th century, the range increased. Now distant targets could be fired at, which for the gunners were just dots on the map. However, in a mobile war, in which few soldiers skillfully camouflaged themselves, it was difficult to get the exact coordinates of the target.

The “blindness” of artillery changed with the appearance of drones. Even simple photo drones can fly far into the enemy’s hinterland and detect every movement there. A battery is assigned a target and even has an observer with excellent visibility in the form of drones who can coordinate the fire. This was not possible before the drone age, previously you could only get a few commandos behind enemy lines so that they could scout targets. Low-cost drones, on the other hand, are an ever-present threat, able to monitor the entire area behind enemy lines.

Simple drones scout the enemy

So the artillery got eagle eyes. The Russians were that far in 2014/15, but they slept through their lead. Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, it became apparent that the Russian armed forces had far too few operational drones. There was a lack of real combat drones, but also civilian models that could easily be adapted to military needs. This sloppiness is difficult to understand. Before the invasion and sanctions, the Kremlin could have stocked up on thousands of these flying objects on the world market for relatively little money.

In addition to the flying scouts, two other factors helped the artillery. More and more precise and long-range projectiles were developed. While the range of normal field cannons used to end at about 20 kilometers, modern howitzers can achieve over 30. With ammunition with an increased range, 60, 80 or even 100 kilometers are also possible. The multiple rocket launchers can reach 85 kilometers and much more with special rockets.



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New precision bullets

In the past, this plus would have been largely pointless because the ammunition would be driven in more and more imprecisely – then you would have been happy to hit a soccer field. The problem was solved by precision warheads, which are oriented to GPS and other systems and are able to adjust the trajectory of the shell and head directly for the target on the final approach. Although these systems are much more expensive than regular warheads, the switch is worth it. Where previously an entire battery would devastate a field in order to hit a target, today a single shell is often enough to destroy a tank with a direct hit, for example. At the same time, however, it also became apparent that it was an illusion to believe that only a few precise shots would be fired. In Ukraine there is as much shooting as possible. Complicated systems like the Panzerhaubitze 2000 should not do well in rough emergencies. The overbred weapon then fails and has to be laboriously repaired.

These innovations also existed in the Russian armed forces – but obviously not in the required quantities. While Ukraine is being supplied with large quantities of the smart ammunition from the West and specifically from the USA. Ukraine itself did not have such weapons. This predominance meant that the Russian artillery, which was still dominant in the spring, can be defeated. Any Russian cannon can become a helpless target when fired with precision ammunition and the enemy stays out of range.

Peculiarities of the war in Ukraine

So artillery became smarter, more modern and more dangerous. However, the renaissance of artillery in Ukraine also depends on the specifics of this war. The previously crucial weapon systems – airplanes, helicopters and main battle tanks – cannot develop their potential in Ukraine. Anti-aircraft defenses and anti-tank missiles cripple their movement – drones and artillery fill this gap. However, should main battle tanks receive effective active protection systems against missiles, they would again play an active role on the battlefield. The same applies to the air force: the Russian forces were never able to break down Kiev’s air defenses, which would probably not have happened to an air force like the US Air Force. And if the enemy aircraft dominate the sky, artillery could not fight the enemy from a “safe” position, even with long-range and precise projectiles.

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