On Monday, the partners that supply Ukraine with weapons held a virtual meeting. After the meeting, US Secretary of Defense Loyd J. Austin thanked the countries that have promised new packages of weapons. – Today, several countries reported on new donations of artillery systems and ammunition. These were Italy, Greece, Norway and Poland, Austin said during a press conference. THANKS: The US Secretary of Defense Loyd J. Austin thanked several countries, including Norway, which have promised new packages of weapons to Ukraine. Photo: Alex Brandon / AP A possible contribution from Norway could be armored vehicles of the type M109. Aftenposten has previously mentioned that artillery vehicles of this type have been taken out of storage and tested in northern Norway. The defense has confirmed to the newspaper that the testing was successful. These self-propelled artillery wagons with 155mm cannons are Norwegian surplus material. The vehicles have been in stock since they were replaced by the more modern K-9 Vidar, which the defense took into use in 2020. Will not confirm The Norwegian authorities will not confirm that Ukraine will receive the artillery type M109 from Norway. – For security reasons, we do not confirm shipments of weapons or materiel to Ukraine in advance. This is about the safety of the Ukrainian departments that will use the equipment and the safety of those who transport the equipment, the Ministry of Defense informs NRK. – In addition, it concerns the safety of the Norwegian or foreign personnel who instruct the Ukrainians in the use of the equipment, the ministry adds. The Ministry of Defense states that the Norwegian authorities will only confirm such shipments when weapons or other material are in the hands of the Ukrainian departments that will use them. ASSESSES: Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram informs NRK that the Government is continuously considering whether Norway should send more weapons and materiel to Ukraine. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram tells NRK that the Government is continuously considering whether Norway should send more weapons and materiel to Ukraine. – We do not comment on these assessments and any ongoing or future contributions, Gram says. Ammunition US Secretary of Defense Austin said that countries that supply artillery also supply ammunition to the weapons. It is not clear whether Norway also does so, or how many artillery shells there may be. If Norway delivers ammunition, it is likely that the Ukrainians will have access to 155MM HE-ER from Norwegian Nammo. These are grenades that have extra long range. Norway will have many such grenades in stock. Ukraine has asked the donor countries for long-range artillery. They want to be able to hit the Russian forces from a distance that is out of reach of the typical Russian artillery. RANTS FAR: With the 155mm HE-ER grenade, the M109 wagons can reach a distance of 30 kilometers from the launch site. Photo: Nammo Short cannon tubes The M109 wagons that Norway has used previously have shorter cannon tubes than what is now standard in NATO countries. The length of the cannon barrel helps determine how far a grenade can go. The Norwegian M109 wagons have tubes with a caliber of 39. The modern artillery of the type M777, which the Ukrainians have received from the USA, has a caliber of 52. If the grenades from Nammo are part of Norway’s contribution, the Norwegian donation satisfies Ukraine’s desire for more elongated artillery. 155mm HE-ER are so-called “base bleed” grenades. Due to a pyrotechnic device at the rear end, they have far better aerodynamic properties, and meet less resistance in the air. Then they reach further. In this case, fired from a 39-caliber cannon, they can hit the target 30 kilometers away.
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Norway sends artillery to Ukraine – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
