US, Germany Build Ukraine Artillery Repair Depots In Poland, Slovakia

The artillery with which the US, Germany and other NATO countries have supplied Ukraine is superior to that being used by the Russians. 

The problem is that the Ukrainians are firing them at a far higher rate than anticipated. And though that has helped turn the tide of battle, it has led to breakdowns such as worn-out howitzer barrels. As a result the US and Germany have set up repair facilities in nearby countries both to fix the problems - and to train Ukrainians in doing so. JL 

Guy McCardle reports in Sofrep, image Laurent Van der Stockt, Le Monde:

The war in Ukraine is seeing artillery exchanges the likes of which have not occurred since the war in Korea. Russia is shooting an almost unbelievable 20,000 rounds a day. The Ukrainians are returning fire with 4,000 to 7,000 shells of their own. To fire that many rounds, the weapons, as with all things mechanical, break down and need repair. Some of the artillery in use by the Ukrainians are being pushed to their limits. The Pentagon set up a 50-member repair team in Poland. The team has trained Ukrainian armed forces to service and repair US-supplied weapons. Germany set up a repair hub in Slovakia to work on the equipment that nation has sent to Ukraine to support its war effort. The war in Ukraine is seeing artillery exchanges, the likes of which have not occurred since the war in Korea. According to NBC News, a senior US defense official has told them Russia is shooting an almost unbelievable 20,000 rounds a day on average. The Ukrainians are returning fire with approximately 4,000 to 7,000 shells of their own. To maintain this burn rate, both sides must have a constant source of resupply, or else their guns will be silent. 

Multiple sources have commented that artillery stockpiles used by Russian forces have been running low for some time now. Nevertheless, the US and several nations from all over the globe keep supplying the Ukrainian side with what they need to keep up the fight.

There is one downside, however, to fire that many rounds of field artillery; the weapons, as with all things mechanical in nature, break down and need repair. Some of the artillery pieces in use by the Ukrainians are being pushed to their limits and beyond, and, according to The New York Times (NYT), at any given time, up to a third of their western made howitzers are out of the fight because the need to be fixed.

As you might imagine, this is no easy task. Barrels on these weapons can be up to 29 feet long (in the case of the M109) and weigh many thousands of pounds. You can’t just take them to your local gunsmith. Repairing and maintaining them has become beyond the abilities of Ukrainian soldiers in the field. That’s why in June of this year, the Pentagon set up a 50-member military repair team at a base in Poland. The team has trained Ukrainian armed forces to service and repair US-supplied weapons. US officials are hesitant to talk much about the program. 

Not long after the invasion, Kyiv’s supply of 152 mm shells fired out of Soviet-era artillery pieces began to run out. The US and other western nations quickly supplied them with newer parts, such as the M777 towed howitzer, which fires a 155 mm shell. Regional allies of the US have stockpiled many tons of these rounds over the years and are now funneling them to Ukraine. We’ve provided them with 142 M triple sevens and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, including several M982 Excalibur extended-range precision munitions.

US military officials report that some non-US supplied artillery rounds are shortening the life of howitzer barrels. When this happens, the only fix is to send them to Poland for repairs. Unfortunately, to get there, they might have to cover several hundred miles. Ukrainian commanders, of course, would like to be able to make the necessary repairs and barrel swap-outs closer to the front lines. For the time being, however, the only solution is to send them to Poland.

NYT quotes Rob Lee, a military analyst at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, as saying, referring to Ukrainian armed forces, “They didn’t get a full training package for them and then were thrown into the fight, so you are going to get a lot of wear and tear.”

Germany has decided to set up a repair hub in Slovakia to work on all of the equipment that the nation has sent to Ukraine to support its war effort. The New Voice of Ukraine quotes German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht as saying, “We have reached agreement, and work can start immediately so that all the equipment which has been supplied (to Kyiv) can be repaired after coming out of battle.” She made this announcement in Brussels during a meeting with her European Union colleagues. The repair stations will be set up not far from the border, and work will begin in December.