Ukrainian drones target Russian howitzers in evolving artillery warfare
Ukrainian FPV drones are flying further beyond the front line and can even hunt down Russian tube artillery. One of the priority targets is the Msta-S howitzer. Here, we present its performance and how it was destroyed.
Artillery is Ukraine's second key means of combat after aircraft dropping guided bombs, without which effective offense or defence is impossible.
The most valuable are self-propelled artillery systems, which can deliver a multi-shell salvo very quickly and evacuate from the firing position promptly before they get counter-battery fire. It's worth noting that both sides possess numerous artillery radars capable of calculating the opponent's artillery firing point within a few metres and relaying those coordinates to their artillery.
In these conditions, it becomes challenging to use classic towed artillery, which cannot change positions quickly. Essentially, the only safe option remains self-propelled systems. For this reason, they are very high on the target list, and the Ukrainians have started using extended-range variants of FPV drones to hunt them. This is the same approach as the Russians hunting Polish Krabs using Lancet-3 drones.
Below, you can see footage from an observation drone camera, followed by footage from an FPV drone sent to destroy the detected Msta-S howitzer. It's worth noting that drones, to which bomblets from cluster ammunition or PG-7VL grenades are often attached with zip ties, cost less than £800 individually.
Msta-S howitzer - one of Russia’s most valuable systems
Introduced to the Russian Federation's armaments in 1989, the 2S19 Msta-S howitzer is based on a 152 mm calibre gun with a length of 47 calibres mounted on a T-80 tank chassis with a diesel engine borrowed from the T-72 tank.
The applied gun, a little over 7 metres long, is a rarity among Russian artillery systems. It allows it to fire standard 152 mm calibre ammunition at a distance of up to 26 kilometres, while ordinary systems like the 2S3 Akatsiya reach at most 18 kilometres.
On the other hand, using shells with a gas generator, the Msta-S's striking range increases to 29 kilometres, and with rare rocket-assisted shells, to about 35 kilometres. This, with a rate of fire up to 8 rounds per minute, makes the Msta-S a formidable opponent.
