British AS-90 self-propelled guns for Ukraine: first losses and dubious prospects
AS-90 of the British army on exercises. Photo by the British Ministry of Defense
protracted story with the delivery of British AS-90 self-propelled artillery mounts to Ukraine, it is approaching a logical end. After numerous promises and a long wait, such equipment ended up in the war zone. In addition, she has already suffered the first losses. Given the various circumstances and recent trends, it can now be expected that the destruction of the entire fleet of transferred AS-90s is purely a matter of technology and a matter of time.
Promises and deliveries
The first reports of a possible transfer of the AS-90 self-propelled guns to the Kiev regime appeared in the British press in March-April 2022. Then it was claimed that the British government was studying the fleet of armored vehicles of its army and deciding which vehicles, in what quantities and in what time frame, could be sent to Ukraine . Decisions of this kind were expected in the near future.
By the end of April, it became known that the British Ministry of Defense was ready to write off 20 self-propelled guns and transfer them to Kyiv over the next few months. Then the plans were revised upwards. By the end of the year, they were talking about 30 self-propelled guns with delivery in several batches. The first of them was supposed to include 8 cars and go to Ukraine in the near future.
It is noteworthy that throughout the past year, the British side only promised the supply of self-propelled guns and specified its plans, while the actual shipment of equipment did not begin. The UK Ministry of Defense announced the transfer of military vehicles only in mid-March 2023 - almost a year after the first News about plans.
Transportation of self-propelled guns across the territory of Poland, March 2023. Photo by Telegram / Dambiev
According to the military department, a total of 32 self-propelled guns were sent to Ukraine. 20 vehicles were in good condition and were intended for operation and combat use. The other 12 were "in varying degrees of readiness". They were proposed to be used as a source of spare parts to ensure the operation of combat-ready equipment.
Apparently, at the time of the official press release, the UK was just starting to ship armored vehicles. Only by the end of March, AS-90s on trawl tankers were seen in Poland. In early April, this equipment was reloaded onto railway platforms and sent to Ukraine.
In the war zone
By mid-April, the first photographs and videos appeared showing British self-propelled guns allegedly in a combat zone. At the same time, information about the combat use of such equipment was not received. Apparently, the Ukrainian artillery continued to master the received equipment, and they were in no hurry to involve it in hostilities.
The received AS-90s were held in reserve for the next two months. The first reports of their combat use date back to mid-June. As usual, the Ukrainian and friendly foreign press wrote about the highest efficiency of the British systems and their ability to change the situation at the front.
Remains of an AS-90 destroyed in early July. Photo Listarmour.info
However, bold assessments and forecasts did not come true. AS-90 actually became just another model in the arsenal of the enemy. At the same time, the number of such equipment did not allow to significantly increase the total number of the fleet and increase its combat effectiveness. In addition, the general measures of the Russian army to search for and destroy enemy artillery extended to British self-propelled guns.
Just a few weeks after entering the war zone, AS-90s suffered their first casualties. At the very beginning of July, such a vehicle fired in the area of the settlement. Small Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region) and came under counter-battery attack. An accurate hit by a Russian shell led to the complete destruction of the self-propelled gun with the detachment of the tower and the burnout of internal units.
No later than July 22, another AS-90 was destroyed. The place, time and circumstances of her death are still unknown. Judging by the condition of the wreckage, the stowage of ammunition was damaged by some kind of fire weapon, and the explosion inside the hull left no chance.
In the process of destruction
Of all the episodes of foreign military-technical assistance to Ukraine, the delivery of British AS-90 self-propelled guns looks like one of the most strange or even stupid. This story was seriously dragged out, but gave only limited practical results and did not meet the expectations of the enemy. Moreover, it is now possible to predict with certainty the further development of events.
To date, two AS-90 items are known to have been destroyed, and both are beyond recovery. It is possible that the actual number of self-propelled guns hit / destroyed is higher. One way or another, a tenth of the park, suitable for exploitation, has already been knocked out and no longer poses any danger.
Self-propelled guns, destroyed on July 22. Photo Lostarmour.info
At first glance, this is not too much. However, the Russian army is taking all measures to identify and destroy enemy artillery. This means that AS-90s will be regularly disabled or destroyed using various means. The number of such equipment, as well as enemy self-propelled artillery as a whole, will be gradually reduced.
Several factors will contribute to the speedy destruction of all British self-propelled guns. First of all, this is their limited number - only 20 combat-ready vehicles, not counting the equipment for "cannibalization". Some other foreign self-propelled guns were transferred in larger batches, but they also suffered significant losses. British cars will obviously run out even faster.
In addition, there are risks associated with the state of technology and the features of its operation. Until recently, the UK had less than 180 AS-90 SPGs, and, according to various sources, only two thirds of this fleet were serviceable or could be used after minor repairs. At the same time, only 20 combat-ready vehicles and 12 suitable only for spare parts could be found for transfer to the Kyiv regime.
Obviously, the state of British technology leaves much to be desired. There are risks of certain breakdowns, and some of them cannot be corrected for objective reasons. Therefore, it should be expected that a certain proportion of Ukrainian AS-90s will not be able to reach the firing position due to breakdowns, and then be written off due to the impossibility of recovery. The only question is the number of such machines and the speed of their failure.
A British artilleryman is loading propellant charges. Cartridge loading can pose an additional threat to the safety of the vehicle and crew. Photo by the British Ministry of Defense
Finally, it should be recalled that the AS-90 is far from the most successful and perfect self-propelled gun that came to Ukraine from abroad. In terms of characteristics and capabilities, it is seriously inferior to newer models, such as the German PzH 2000 self-propelled guns or the Polish AHS Krab.
The product "Crab" is of particular interest in this context. The fact is that the fighting compartment of this self-propelled guns was developed in the UK with the aim of deep modernization of AS-90 products. However, the British army did not update its self-propelled guns, and Poland eventually took advantage of its developments.
mutual harm
Starting from February-March last year, a number of foreign countries actively helped the Kyiv regime with the supply of various weapons and military equipment. Equipment was transferred from the presence of their own armies, and therefore morally and physically obsolete products were often sent to Ukraine. As a result, there was little benefit from such assistance.
The delivery of the British AS-90 self-propelled guns is similar to the previous controversial episodes of assistance, and also has its own dubious features. So, the recipient had to wait for the promised cars for more than a year, and the volume of deliveries and the quality of the transferred products turned out to be too low.
As a result of all these processes, the Ukrainian self-propelled artillery received a certain amount of equipment, but it will not give any advantages. At the same time, Great Britain to some extent weakened its own ground forces, which were already not the most powerful and effective.
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