European military empty their arsenals to send heavy-duty howitzers to Ukraine

  • The United States and European countries sent dozens of artillery pieces to Ukraine.
  • Several countries have sent most or all of their artillery arsenals to help Kyiv fight Russia.
  • These militaries are now tasked with supplying Ukraine while keeping their forces armed.

The United States and European countries sent dozens of artillery pieces to Ukraine. Some countries have even sent most or all of their artillery arsenals. Now the question is how many cannons and how many shells they can give and at the same time keep their troops armed.

In January, for example, France announced that it would supply Ukraine with 12 more Caesar 155mm howitzers on trucks, in addition to the 18 already shipped. That’s more than one-third of France’s 76 Caesars aircraft.

Also in January, Denmark promised to send nine Caesars to Ukraine, which it planned to deliver from France over the next six months. Estonia has promised to hand over all 24 of its FH-70 155mm towed howitzers. The UK plans to send 30 of its 89 AS90 self-propelled 155mm howitzers.

Ukrainian troops fire a 155mm FH70 howitzer in the Zaporozhye region in October 2022. Dmitry Smolienko/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images

The problem is that European countries are facing the same wall that all countries are facing trying to resupply Ukraine. The warehouse has a limited number of weapons and ammunition, and it is difficult to increase the production of new equipment.

But at least American and major European militaries such as Britain, France, Germany or even Sweden have arsenals large enough to supply weapons to Ukraine while keeping some equipment for their own forces.

For smaller NATO countries, this is a problem: Estonia has only 192 artillery pieces, according to the 2022 edition of The Military Balance published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Of those 192, about 126—about two-thirds—are short-range 81mm and 120mm mortars with a range of less than 5 miles, plus another 30 old Soviet D-30 122mm howitzers with a range of 10 to 14 miles.

This means that sending all 24 Estonian FH-70s to Ukraine – with a range of up to 19 miles – does more than just cut 13% of its artillery force. It also takes most of Estonia’s long-range artillery, leaving only half a dozen South Korean self-propelled 155mm K9 howitzers that can fire up to 25 miles.

Ukrainian troops fire from the French 155-mm Caesar self-propelled howitzer at Russian positions in the Donbas region on June 15, 2022. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

The shipment to Ukraine of all French-made Caesars, originally intended for the Danish army, also caused a stir in Denmark.

“This is practically all the Danish artillery that Denmark gives to Ukraine in one blow,” the Danish Broadcasting Corporation article says. “This is a weapon system that is the most powerful and long-range weapon system in existence in the Danish army. This is a weapon system that people have been looking forward to and that soldiers have been looking forward to working with.”

Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen fears that the transfer of the Caesars to Ukraine will delay the modernization of Danish artillery and affect the retention of personnel. “Human gunners should have something to work with,” Ellemann-Jensen said.

Not that the situation was ideal for Ukraine. Desperate to get as many Western weapons as possible to offset Russia’s numerical superiority, the Ukrainian military must also learn to operate, maintain and supply a mind-boggling variety of artillery, tanks, missiles and other weapons.

British Army AS-90s firing during a Steel Saber exercise in March 2015. British Army/Sergeant Sea Longworth RLC.

Ukraine also cannot rely on the ability of other countries to replenish and maintain the equipment they send, which will inevitably be destroyed in battle, require maintenance and overhaul, and also need a constant supply of appropriate ammunition and spare parts.

For example, the US is trying to increase the production of 155 mm artillery shells, since Ukraine is producing up to 7,000 shells per day. But expanding production capacity for artillery shells may take years, and artillery pieces themselves may not be produced at all.

For the larger military powers, this may be a temporary inconvenience as their military-industrial base prepares for a long war in Ukraine. But for small countries that cannot produce their own heavy artillery, the alternative is to import it from a handful of countries capable of producing basic weapons systems.

The question is whether countries like the US, UK and France can simultaneously arm Ukraine, replenish their own supplies, and still supply their smaller allies.

Michael Peck is a columnist whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and more. He has a master’s degree in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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