The Estonian Army has acquired a brand new batch of South Korean K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled howitzers, as a part of efforts to broaden the service’s lengthy vary concentrating on capabilities. The nation’s defence ministry reported concerning the procurement: “The newly arrived K9 ‘Thunder’ Howitzers replicate our long-term dedication to readiness, resilience, and cooperation. Estonia invests in safety as a result of our freedom is value defending.” The K9 is one in every of a number of South Korean weapons methods which have gained a quick rising market share amongst NATO members, regardless of vital lobbying efforts by Germany to market its rival tools. The armies of Finland, Norway, Poland, and Turkey all at present area the K9, whereas the Romanian Army is scheduled to start receiving them earlier than the tip of the last decade.
The deployment of K9 methods and different superior South Korean tools in quick rising portions by NATO members has positioned rising stress on Russia’s defences, at a time when the nation is looking for to bolster its personal artillery forces after vital contraction to a underneath 5 p.c of their Soviet period dimension. Among the many K9’s most notable options are an computerized shell dealing with and ramming system, a price of fireside of six shells per minute, and a capability to fireplace on completely different trajectories briefly succession. The brand new K9A1 variant boasts enhanced fireplace controls and pc working methods, which permit the system to fireplace with out working its predominant engine for decreased gas consumption, decreased upkeep wants, and a better diploma of precision utilizing each INS and GPS. New prolonged vary ammunition has additionally improved the K9’s engagement vary to 54km.
The Russian Army in 2023 introduced its personal subsequent era self propelled howitzer into service, the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV, which advantages from a a lot increased diploma of precision than its predecessors resulting from superior laser steering methods. The 152mm gun has a 70 kilometre engagement vary, and might reportedly fireplace as much as as much as 20 rounds per minute, though the speed of fireside is considerably slower if over a sustained interval. Because the system solely entered serial manufacturing in 2021, nevertheless, it’s fielded in solely comparatively restricted numbers, manufacturing unlikely to match that of the K9 for the foreseeable future. Russian artillery capabilities have benefitted significantly each from very giant scale deliveries of North Korean 122mm, 152mm and 170mm shells, but additionally from the supply of 170mm self-propelled weapons, the superior capabilities of which have been singled out particularly be senior Ukrainian officers as a serious problem dealing with by Army items on the frontlines.
