“They feel that it is not necessary, as they do not believe that the Ukrainians have the ability to strike them.” The West also sends modern indirect firearms to Ukraine, such as the Switchblade 600, a stray “kamikaze” drone that can chase targets and fly directly at them to fire a warhead. However, stray munitions are few in number and lack the impact of a huge weight of firepower that lands on a target in a short time, which is the advantage of traditional artillery systems.
Larger range is “critical”
Western officials say the need for Ukrainian forces to be able to hit Russian targets at greater range in the battle for Donbas is “critical.” Ukraine has requested from the United States M777, M109 Paladin, a self-propelled gun, multi-launcher missile systems (MLRS) and the Switchblade 600. The M777, first used in combat in Afghanistan, and the older M109 are both 155mm cannons capable of hitting targets up to 30km away. The MLRS is more complex and expensive, but has a longer range (standard ammunition will reach about 45 km). France has promised to supply twelve Caesar artillery systems, a 155mm firearm mounted on a 6×6 wheeled truck. The Caesar has a range of 40 km and the truck can roam up to 600 km before refueling, making it very versatile on the battlefield. The Switchblade 600 drone can stay high for about 40 minutes, giving it a maximum range of about 40 km, although this is likely to be lower as it will be used to circle a target area. Together, these weapons will allow Ukrainian forces to remain in the fight for Donbas, perhaps even prevail.
