According to information published by American sources, the United States would have already handed over 80% of M777 155mm towed howitzers to the Ukrainian armed forces.
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USMC and U.S. Air Force military personnel load M777 towed howitzers bound for Ukraine onto a U.S. C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft. (Picture source U.S. DoD)
Citing information from the U.S. Department of Defense, currently, the U.S. is training Ukrainian soldiers on the use of M777 155mm towed howitzers in undisclosed areas outside of Ukraine.
Other U.S. systems the Ukrainians will be trained on include the Phoenix Ghost Tactical UAS and M113 armored personnel carriers, the U.S. official said.
In recent days, there have been almost 20 deliveries via airlift from seven nations that have been received in the region at multiple locations. The shipments include mines, small-caliber rounds, 122 mm rockets, helmets, and body armor.
According to the latest information published on Internet, the Ukrainian armed forces will receive a total of 108 M777 155mm towed howitzers from Australia, Canada, and United States. Army Recognition reported that the United States has approved the delivery of M777 howitzers on April 13 and April 22, 2022, respectively.
The M777 is one of the lightest 155mm howitzers in the world with a weight of only 4,100 kg offering quick deployment and transport by military transport aircraft or heavy helicopters. This means that it can be also frequently moved and re-deployed, maximizing survivability, without encountering the IED (Improvised Explosive Device) risks faced by self-propelled artillery systems. To date, the M777 is in service with U.S., Canadian, Australian, and Indian forces, with total orders currently exceeding 1,200 howitzers.
The M777 can be deployed and fires the first round in less ran 3 minutes et move to another position in 2 to 3 minutes. It has a maximum firing range of 24.7 km with standard ammunition and 30 km with assisted ammunition. The latest variant, the M777A2 can also fire GPS-guided ammunition called Excalibur with a range of approximately 40 to 57 kilometers. It has an intensive rate of fire of four rounds per minute.
Defense News May 2022
