Dutch Howitzers surprise in Ukrainian military training footage
The newly released footage by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence shows the training of Ukrainian artillery personnel. According to the Ukrainians' description, the 199th Training Centre operates American M109A6 Paladin howitzers. However, the footage indicates that this is not the case.
Ukraine currently operates a diverse range of artillery equipment. Alongside Soviet-origin weapons, which use ammunition measuring roughly 152 mm (6 inches) and 130 mm (5 inches), Western aid has introduced systems to Ukraine firing shells in Western calibres of approximately 105 mm (4 inches) and 155 mm (6 inches).
While several countries supply modern artillery systems, such as the Polish Krab howitzer, the German PzH 2000, the Swedish FH77BW Archer, and the French Caesar, the M109 howitzer was predominant in NATO countries' armed forces during the Cold War. After being retired from active service, it was often placed in storage.
This is an equipment developed in the USA, with the first variant entering service in 1963. Since then, the M109 howitzer has undergone numerous developments and modernizations, resulting in various versions, including local and national adaptations.
As a result, the name M109 could refer to both an older M109A2 howitzer retrieved from storage and the modern M109A6 Paladin system, which, together with its updated version, the M109A7, forms the backbone of American barrel artillery.
Dutch howitzers in Ukraine
It seems that the issue of equipment identification also occurred on the Ukrainian side. The film released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence was described as training conducted on Paladin howitzers.
However, as highlighted by Defence 24, the film clearly shows an M109 howitzer in a state suggesting long-term storage in unfavourable conditions, evident by the peeling paint.
The equipment visible in the footage is not the modern Paladin but – most likely – the M109A2NL model, meaning howitzers provided by the Netherlands. This country discreetly supported Ukraine with an unspecified number of M109 howitzers.
This aid is somewhat surprising because – based on officially available information – the Dutch howitzers were retired long ago and sold, among other places, to Jordan, with the few remaining units displayed in museums. Nonetheless, as revealed in mid-2024, one of the batches of Dutch aid included M109 howitzers and it is likely that this equipment is what is visible in the footage released by Ukraine.
