US helps revive "cannon king" M777 after success in Ukraine

Mỹ giúp hồi sinh vua pháo M777 sau thành công ở Ukraine - 1 — Ukrainian soldiers fire M777 howitzers (Photo: AFP).

The Wall Street Journal on January 4 quoted British defense company BAE Systems as saying they will restart the production line of M777 parts for the US Army.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the newly produced parts will be used to repair M777 guns in Ukraine’s inventory. Additionally, once the production line is revived, BAE is expected to receive contracts for complete guns.

About eight countries have requested to buy the M777 since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine in February 2022, BAE said.

But restarting the weapons production line will take time. BAE said the new M777s will be delivered by 2025 as it seeks another titanium supplier.

The resumption of British M777 production shows how the war in Ukraine is reshaping the global arms industry. It also shows the level of attrition of Western-aid equipment, some of which is no longer in production, after nearly two years of fighting in Ukraine.

The West has supplied Kiev with more mobile self-propelled artillery, but the M777 towed howitzer still wins the hearts of Ukrainian soldiers because it breaks down less often and is easier to use and repair.

“Weapons that are talked about a lot and are highly trusted in a conflict tend to drive export sales,” said Mark Cancian, an adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a former US Marine Corps artillery officer.

Mr. Cancian also noted that weapons production lines are rarely restarted after they are shut down.

Britain's Starstreak air defense missile is also resuming production after its deployment in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Germany's Rheinmetall is considering resuming its ammunition production facility after Ukraine's demand for artillery shells surged.

The M777 is the longest-range direct-fire artillery system in service with the US military, with a range of up to 30km when using rocket-propelled grenades, 5km further than the 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled artillery system, the most common artillery system deployed by Russia in Ukraine.

The M777 can fire further (up to 40km) and more accurately if using guided ammunition such as Excalibur with GPS satellite guidance.

Ukraine has received at least 170 M777s from the United States, Australia and Canada. But about 77 have been damaged or destroyed, according to Oryx, an independent analysis group specializing in open-source intelligence.

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