Ukraine boosts artillery power with advanced German howitzers

NATO countries continue to train Ukrainians to operate modern equipment, and some of the most important training centres for Ukrainians are in Poland and Germany. Here is what the training of the crews of the powerful PzH 2000 howitzers looks like.

The Ukrainians received 14 Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers from Germany, and a recent announcement was made about delivering 18 more. These powerful artillery systems are quite complicated, necessitating a high level of technical handling. Moreover, they encounter issues when exceeding rather conservatively set operational norms (e.g., 100 shots per day), leading to, among other things, a malfunction of the loading mechanism.

Simultaneously, Germany conducts training for new crews, which will either replace those fighting in Ukraine, necessitating rotation or be responsible for operating the new howitzers. In the video below, you can see how Ukrainians initially trained on simulators before moving on to the actual equipment.

The Panzerhaubitze 2000, one of the most advanced artillery systems in the world, is distinguished by its impressive rate of fire, reaching up to 10 shots per minute. It can also fire up to five shots in the MRSI (multiple-round simultaneous impact) mode, where all the projectiles hit the target almost simultaneously.

The striking range varies with the type of ammunition used, from approximately 30 kilometres with standard DM121, OFd MKM, to about 60 kilometres using rocket-assisted projectiles like M549A1. That’s not all; with novel sub-calibre ammunition Vulcano GLR 155, the striking distance increases to 69-80 kilometres.

The Panzerhaubitze 2000 can also serve as a long-range tank destroyer thanks to intelligent SMArt 155 shells, which autonomously identify and attack armoured targets within a given area.

Of course, the PzH 2000 can occupy or leave a firing position in less than a minute, and loading a supply of 60 ready-to-fire shells takes just 12 minutes, reducing the time spent in the loading area where the howitzer is most vulnerable to attack.

The PzH 2000 is also well-armoured, with its roof reinforced with Igelpanzerung mats capable of withstanding hits from anti-tank bomblets or drones like Lancet-3. While such a level of protection has increased its weight to 69 tons, thanks to a 1,340 hp engine, the PzH 2000 remains quite agile.