The Armed Forces burns the barrels too fast: the US does not have time to produce howts M777 - Pentagon

It is noted that the sole M776 brand producer is Arsenal in Watervliet Arsenal, a government-owned New York. However, its capacity is insufficient to satisfy current requests. As stated in the US Defense Ministry document, the current production rate is less than 30 new trunks per month, which does not meet the operational needs of the Armed Forces. To solve this problem, $ 161 million was allocated from Ukraine Replacement Transfer Fund.

These funds are aimed at purchasing equipment, modernizing production and simplifying procedures, which will increase the monthly release of the trunks by 10 units more. 155 mm howitzers M777 play a key role in confronting with Russian invaders, especially taking into account the intensive use of artillery on the battlefield. Ukraine's defense forces have been actively using them since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The service life of the howls of howls depends on the intensity of their operation, while the Ukrainian army uses up to 3000 artillery shells daily. In addition, constant shooting with a full powder charge accelerates the wear of the barrels, which can reduce the accuracy and range of firing. According to various estimates, the Ukrainian army received more than 200 such howits, including deliveries from the US, Canada and Australia.

However, the observers were assumed, about 100 of them could be destroyed or damaged during the fighting. At the same time, according to Major General Michael Lalor, a representative of the tank and weapons command, artillery barrels of howitzers M777 exceeded the initial expectations and served longer than expected, despite the extremely active use in the Russian-Ukrainian war.