Self-propelled howitzers are driving the European artillery renaissance
A Finnish K9 Thunder during a live-fire exercise. (Photo: Finnish Ministry of Defence)
After decades of force reductions as artillery was deprioritised, Europe is now undergoing an artillery renaissance as governments across the continent scramble to invest in new capabilities in response to the war in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, artillery has played a crucial role on the battlefield. From the outset, Ukrainian forces have used artillery to disrupt and break up large Russian formations as they attempted to advance. When Ukraine has launched counteroffensives, artillery has been vital in providing fire support and ensuring that Russian units remain suppressed.
As the war has gone on and precision munitions have become more prevalent, artillery has played an important role in degrading Russian positions by striking targets like logistics hubs behind enemy lines.
These factors have all contributed to artillery inflicting a significant proportion of
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