Estonia to supply Ukraine with FH-70 155mm and D-30 122mm towed howitzers.
On January 19, 2023, the Estonian Ministry of Defense announced a new military aid package to Ukraine including a large number of heavy weapons such as FH-70 155mm and D-30 122mm towed howitzers that are worth €113 million.
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Estonia will provide Ukraine with FH-70 155mm and D-30 122mm towed howitzers as well as Carl Gustaf M2 anti-tank weapons.
Citing information from the Estonian Ministry of Defense, the new Estonian military aid will focus on artillery systems and anti-tank weaponry including dozens of 155mm FH-70 and 122mm D-30 towed howitzers, thousands of units of artillery ammunition, support vehicles for the artillery units, and hundreds of grenade launchers Carl-Gustav M2, with ammunition.
In addition, Estonia will continue to provide both basic and specialist training to hundreds of Ukrainian Armed Forces members in 2023.
With this newest package of aid, Estonia has provided Ukraine with military aid in the replacement value of 370 million euros, which makes up about half of the Estonian 2022 defence budget and more than 1% of the Estonian GDP. This places Estonia among the leading countries in providing aid to Ukraine.
The FH-70 is a 155mm towed howitzer artillery piece that was developed by the Italian company Oto Melara, German company Rheinmetall AG and British company Vickers Ltd in the 1970s. The FH-70 was used by a number of countries, including Italy, Germany, and several other European nations, as well as Japan, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia and continue to be in the military inventory of several countries.
The FH-70 howitzer is a towed artillery piece, meaning it is designed to be transported and positioned by a vehicle, such as a truck or tank, before firing. It has a barrel length of 39 caliber and a maximum range of 30 kilometers. The howitzer is also equipped with a muzzle brake and a hydropneumatic recoil system to reduce recoil forces during firing. The FH-70 also features a fully automated laying and loading system, which allows for rapid and accurate fire. It also has a very efficient and low-maintenance hydraulic system that enables the howitzer to be elevated and traversed quickly. The FH-70 was also equipped with a fire control system that provided a high level of accuracy and precision.
The FH-70 howitzer has a maximum range of 30 kilometers when firing standard projectiles, and up to 40 kilometers with rocket-assisted projectiles. The howitzer is capable of firing a variety of different types of ammunition, including high-explosive (HE), smoke, illumination, and fragmentation rounds. It also has the capability to fire rocket-assisted projectiles (RAP), which increases the range of the howitzer.
The D-30 is a Soviet-designed artillery towed howitzer that has been in service since the 1960s. It is a 122mm towed howitzer that is capable of firing a variety of ammunition types, including high explosive, fragmentation, and smoke rounds.
The D-30 has a maximum range of 15.3 kilometers and can be used in a variety of roles, including direct and indirect fire support. It is still used by many countries around the world and has been modernized in some cases.
