Watch Ukrainian Soldiers Training In the United Kingdom: Video footage shared online last week shows Ukrainian soldiers being trained in the United Kingdom to use the AS90 self-propelled artillery weapon gifted to Kyiv in their dozens.
The video footage shows three AS90s positioned next to one another, with teams of five Ukrainian troops behind each artillery system. Each AS90 then fires ammunition in quick succession.
The video was shared by independent Ukrainian news outlet The Kyiv Independent on Twitter, which noted that the training is taking place in various places across the United Kingdom.
“This video shows Ukrainian soldiers being trained to use AS90 self-propelled guns in the U.K. The training by the British Ministry of Defense takes place across the North West, South West and South East of the U.K.” the outlet writes.
The soldiers arrived in the United Kingdom to undergo training in February.
What Is the AS90?
The AS90 Braveheart is a self-propelled howitzer that has been in service with the British Army since 1992.
The 155mm weapon system was designed and manufactured by BAE Systems Land Systems, which was formerly known as the Armaments Division of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd. The manufacturing process took place in Barrow-in-Furness, which is located in Cumbria.
As of now, the British Army possesses a total of 179 AS90 Bravehearts.
The howitzer is manned by a crew of five individuals and has a length of 9.07 meters, a width of 3.3 meters, and a height of 3.0 meters. Its armor is 17 millimeters thick, and the vehicle weighs approximately 45 tons.
The vehicle is powered by a Cummins VTA903T 660 bhp 90-degree V8, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, turbo diesel engine, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 55 km/h. The AS90 has a range of 370 km, and it is capable of crossing a trench of up to 2.8 meters.
Last week, the British government announced that it would replace the AS90 artillery weapons sent to Ukraine with fourteen Archer artillery systems purchased from Sweden.
This video shows Ukrainian soldiers being trained to use AS90 self-propelled guns in the U.K. The training by the British Ministry of Defense takes place across the North West, South West and South East of the U.K.
Video: Theo Prouvost pic.twitter.com/aC2uP2zPfA
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 24, 2023
“The first 14 Archer artillery systems will have ownership transferred to the British Army this month and be fully operational by next April, forming an interim replacement for the 32 AS90 artillery systems the U.K. gifted to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the British Ministry of Defence confirmed in a statement, adding that the newer systems have double the maximum range of the AS90.
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Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
