Sweden's unrestricted military support boosts Ukraine's defences
The Swedes have admitted that the weapons they supplied to Ukraine were not subject to any usage restrictions, similar to the situation with Polish weapons. This is a rare procedure compared to many other countries. Here is what Sweden has donated to Ukraine.
During one of his business trips, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström briefly commented to DW News on the issue of the use of Swedish weapons by Ukrainians. “We have not imposed any usage restrictions on the weapons delivered to Ukraine, and we do not intend to do so now. Ukraine has already made good use of the weapons received.”
The best infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, and the fastest artillery in the world — these are the gifts from the Swedes
Sweden has donated various types of weapons to Ukraine, including older but useful vehicles such as armoured personnel carriers PBV 302 and modern tanks Stridsvagn 122, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) Strf 9040C / CV90, and H77BW Archer howitzers.
The Stridsvagn 122 tank is a special version of the Leopard 2 tank, an intermediate point between the A5 and A6 versions, adapted to Swedish requirements. These requirements include, among others, increased resistance to side attacks and a reinforced roof to provide greater protection against anti-tank bomblets from cluster munitions. As a result, it is the most heavily armoured variant of the Leopard 2 tank that has been delivered to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Strf 9040C / CV90 is the latest modernisation of the 38-ton tracked IFV designed in the 1990s, known as the Stridsfordon 90 or CV90.
It is a heavily armoured vehicle capable of withstanding fire from 30mm cannons. It hits from hand-held anti-tank weapons such as PG-7VL grenades or similar devices used on FPV drones without any trouble. This provides the three-person crew and the seven transported infantry soldiers with a very high level of protection compared to post-Soviet designs.
Moreover, the Strf 9040C / CV90 in Swedish configuration is the most heavily armed IFV in NATO. Its main armament is a 40mm calibre automatic cannon. Despite being fed from interchangeable magazines, it has very good properties when using appropriate ammunition.
For example, anti-tank sub-calibre ammunition can penetrate over 150mm of armoured steel, defeating the side armour of T-72 tanks even from several hundred metres away. This achievement at a longer distance is impossible for IFVs with smaller calibre cannons.
Furthermore, the larger calibre also allows programmable shells with a larger load of tungsten balls. For instance, the 3P ammunition shell from BAE Systems contains 1,100 tungsten balls, which, upon explosion, along with the shell casing, create 2,500 fragments that penetrate helmets and soft body armour without any problems. Moreover, the shell can be detonated in one of seven modes.
The latest Swedish edition delivered to Ukraine is the H77BW Archer howitzer, which can stop, fire a three-shot salvo, and drive away in just 75 seconds. It is also a highly automated system requiring only three or four soldiers to operate from the armoured cabin.
The range of this howitzer, which has a 155mm cannon of 52 calibres in length, depends on the ammunition used. When firing the cheapest DM121 or OFd MKM types, the range is about 19 miles. For shells with a gas generator, the range increases to 25 miles, and for shells with a rocket booster, such as the M549A1 or guided M982 Excalibur, it is about 37 miles. Of course, the Swedish howitzer can also conduct MRSI firing, in which all fired shells fall on the target simultaneously.
