Ukrainian artillery uses M549A1 rockets with a range of 30 km for the M109 howitzer
A photo of a Ukrainian fighter with an M549A1 active rocket launcher in his hands has appeared online.
What we know
Ukrainian artillerymen, as we can see, use M549A1 shells not only with the M777 howitzer, but also with the M109A3GN self-propelled artillery unit, which was transferred to us by Norway. It [the gun] is in the background of the photo.
The M549 is an American-made 155mm high-explosive shell. It was designed to increase the range of fire of simple howitzers. The maximum range is 30 km.
#Ukraine : Advantages of ammunition unification: a Ukrainian artilleryman shows a M549A1 155mm HE rocket-assisted projectile (supplied by US along with M777) which is used with a M109A3GN SPG, donated by Norway. When fired from this SPG the M549A1 can hit targets as far as 30 km away. pic.twitter.com/84Vi13LPIJ
- ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) July 27, 2022
The ammunition weighs over 43 kg. The weight of TNT in the M549M1 is 6.8 kg. The M549 uses Composition B as the explosive in conventional M549 ammunition, and the weight is increased by almost 500 grams.
Earlier it was reported that artillerymen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces use the M549A1 only for firing from the trailed M777 howitzers.
Source: @UAWeapons
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