Ukraine training video reveals older Dutch Howitzers in use
The new footage, released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, showcases the training of Ukrainian artillerymen. The Ukrainians' description claims that the 199th Training Center operates American M109A6 Paladin howitzers, but the footage suggests otherwise.
5:11 PM EST, November 19, 2024
Ukraine currently utilizes a diverse array of artillery equipment. Alongside Soviet-origin weapons that fire ammunition with calibers of 152mm and 130mm, Western aid has introduced systems to Ukraine that use shells in "Western" calibers of 105mm and 155mm.
Although various countries provide modern artillery systems, such as the Polish Krab howitzer, the German PzH 2000, the Swedish FH77BW Archer, and the French Caesar, the M109 howitzer remained a staple in NATO countries' armed forces during the Cold War. After retirement, it was often placed in storage.
This howitzer was developed in the USA, with the first variant entering service in 1963. Since then, the M109 has been continually improved and modernized, resulting in numerous variants, including localized national versions.
Consequently, the name M109 can refer to an older M109A2 howitzer taken from storage and the modern M109A6 Paladin system, which, along with its evolved version M109A7, forms the backbone of American barrel artillery.
Dutch howitzers in Ukraine
There seems to be a mix-up in equipment identification on the Ukrainian side. The film released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense was described as showing training on Paladin howitzers.
However, as Defense 24 points out, the film clearly displays an M109 howitzer in a condition indicative of long-term storage in poor conditions, evidenced by peeling paint.
The equipment shown in the footage is not the modern Paladin but, most likely, the M109A2NL model, which includes howitzers transferred by the Netherlands. This country discreetly supported Ukraine with an unspecified number of M109 howitzers.
This aid is somewhat surprising because, according to officially available data, the Dutch howitzers were long retired and sold, among other destinations, to Jordan, with only a few remaining units ending up in museums. Despite this, as revealed in mid-2024, one of the batches of Dutch aid included, among others, M109 howitzers, and this is likely the equipment visible in the footage released by Ukraine.
