Ukraine leads Europe in artillery production amidst ongoing war

The Ukrainian defence industry is operating at total capacity. Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that, among European countries, Ukraine produces the most artillery systems per month—mainly the 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzers. We explore the capabilities of this equipment.

For the past two and a half years, Ukraine has been in a state of war, which requires constant mobilisation and readiness. Despite challenging conditions, the Ukrainian defence industry is working at full speed to meet the needs of the military. The production of military equipment and artillery systems is ongoing to provide the army with essential resources.

Recently, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that serial production of Ukrainian 2S22 Bohdana howitzers had commenced. The production pace has increased, so Ukraine is now a European leader in producing such equipment.

When asked about the monthly production of Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems in Ukraine, Zelensky responded at a press conference: "We currently produce many Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems. Among European factories, our enterprise is the leader in monthly production of artillery systems."

Zelensky stated that Ukraine currently produces a "significant number" of Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems but did not provide an exact figure.

The President of Ukraine also revealed that Ukraine is developing long-range weapons. In an interview, he said: "We are currently working on other systems that will enhance our long-range capabilities."

As written by Przemysław Juraszek, a journalist for Wirtualna Polska, the 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer is a powerful machine comparable to the French Caesar. Initially, the KrAZ-63221 truck was used as a base, but now the Czech Tatra Phoenix 8x8 model, which is well known and appreciated in the Ukrainian industry, is utilised. The truck's cabin has been armoured, providing adequate protection against cluster ammunition and FPV drones, which may be equipped with a single cumulative warhead.

The main striking element of the 2S22 Bohdana is a 155 mm calibre gun with a barrel length of 52 calibres. It is equipped with a semi-automatic loading system, significantly easing the soldier's workload. The soldier's task is only to remove the projectile from the ammunition depot and place it in the feeder nearby. Therefore, they do not have to manually carry and load it into the gun. Thanks to this solution, a rate of fire of up to six rounds per minute can be achieved.

The effective range of the 2S22 Bohdana howitzer varies greatly depending on the type of ammunition used. In the case of the simplest DM121 shells, a range of around 19 miles can be expected. However, if M549A1 rocket-assisted projectiles are used, it is possible to hit targets as far as 37 miles. There is also the possibility of using guided M982 Excalibur shells, characterised by a range of over 31 miles. After integrating with the fire control system, it would likely be possible to use 155 Vulcano GLR sub-calibre rounds, which have a range of up to 50 miles.