Why we need to invest more in artillery. Iai Report
Who was there and what was said at the seminar "The present and future of artillery in high intensity conflicts" organized by the IAI
The war in Ukraine highlighted the need to adapt the military instrument in the scenario of a high intensity conflict.
In particular, artillery capabilities have regained importance, placing emphasis on quality, quantity and range, but also on ammunition stocks commensurate with the threat. In Ukraine, artillery performs traditional tasks of suppressing enemy fire while events in the Red Sea have demonstrated how naval artillery is acquiring a leading role against threats such as drones, especially if used in a swarm. Furthermore, current scenarios have brought to light new paradigms for artillery: capabilities not only to be used between forces in contact but capabilities in depth.
Here is what emerged during the seminar "The present and future of artillery in high intensity conflicts" organized by the Iai , to present the study on the topic.
THE UKRAINIAN CASE BUT ALSO THE THEATER IN GAZA
“For the last thirty years artillery has been relegated to a deterrent role. The latest vicissitudes (Ukraine but also Gaza) have put artillery under the spotlight" began Admiral Fabio Agostini, Head of the Covi Planning and Exercises Department.
“Both theaters have given us lessons, especially in Gaza the main lesson is that in modern wars we must think about the multi-domain use of artillery,” Agostini continued, adding: “In both cases, drones have proven to be a fundamental element both as surveillance and as a weapon carrier. The importance of the enormous expenditure of ammunition should be noted."
At the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Russians fired 60 thousand artillery shots a day, today we are at 12 thousand shots a day because supplies are running out on both sides.
CRUCIAL ARTILLERY IN UKRAINE BECAUSE AIR SUPERIORITY IS LACKING
“The role of artillery in Ukraine is crucial because not too many planes fly as a matter of fact,” according to General Carlo Lamanna, Commander for Training, Specialization and Doctrine of the Army.
“There is non-air superiority on both sides so artillery plays a main role,” Lamanna explained. “What is important is that we woke up after years of stabilization operations. Already six years ago General Pietro Serino [former Army Chief of Staff] reported the importance of artillery."
Now it is important to evaluate how to strengthen the artillery in order to have effective defense systems for the defense of our assets. Because “it is useless to have expensive and effective ones on the battlefield and not defend them. Land and anti-aircraft artillery is needed” General Lamanna pointed out. “The current crisis has made us realize that the threats are active and require concrete action to modernize land forces” added Lamanna, specifying that land artillery “will have to develop to respond in support of land operations but it is also a weapon of not just a support maneuver".
Furthermore, "in order to be able to talk about an effective and efficient system, every component of the artillery must be innovated" highlighted General Lamanna.
WHY ARTILLERY IS NECESSARY ON BOARD SHIPS
But the artillery is not only fundamental in the land sector.
“In past years there has been a tendency in many navies to prefer missile defense in larger ships,” highlighted Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy. According to Admiral Berutti, it is necessary for the artillery to be on board the ships because it allows a defense stratification strategy, in a cost/effectiveness logic, with a low-cost projectile you hit a drone. Furthermore, an artillery shot is not easily detectable by radar, the current ammunition is very precise.
Berutti gave the example of Russian ships, sunk by rudimentary means with rapid movements. “We need systems that can change course quickly” highlighted Admiral Berutti, specifying that “A guided munition like Davide allows you to change course”. “Keep artillery on board the ship, also in an anti-aircraft role and proximity munitions to counter slow targets and thus save funds,” underlined Berutti.
ARTILLERY: QUANTITY GAP FOR NATO COUNTRIES
Yet NATO countries are experiencing a quantitative gap, the forces must invest in purely numerical terms in artillery, even if its effectiveness cannot depend only on the quantity but also on the evaluation of the effects, drones always play a more important role. This is what was highlighted by Elio Calcagno, researcher in the IAI Defense programme, co-author of the study together with Alessandro Marrone, head of the Defense programme.
“With a view to deterrence on the European continent, artillery, including single-tube artillery, especially howitzers, will continue to play a fundamental role” remarked Calcagno, specifying that “the numbers will have to increase and several countries are already moving in this direction : modernizing and strengthening their capacity”.
It will also be necessary to establish the balance between “single-tube and multi-tube artillery, rocket launchers and long-range systems”. In this regard, Calcagno explains that rocket launchers like the Himars can launch guided rockets with much greater precision than a howitzer, not to mention a ballistic missile like the Atacm, but howitzers have advantages in terms of volume of fire , ease of use and maintenance. Being less complex systems, like the respective ammunition, they can be purchased in larger quantities."
After that it is important that the forces are spread out in a spread out manner as well as the logistics. In Europe the issue of artillery has revealed the problem of obtaining raw materials such as steel, concluded Calcagno.
WHAT TO DO
Finally, “what we are not doing because we did not abandon artillery recently, but a long time ago, at least in the land field. Then we chased the requirement that other nations highlighted. But artillery today has a very important role and it is truly complex, the availability of funds is not enough but we have to reconstruct the discussion from scratch" stated General Claudio Leone, Director of the Land Armaments Directorate.
“When we talk about artillery we forget that it is a complex system, we talked about cyber but there is also the aspect of the electromagnetic spectrum,” indicated Lorenzo Mariani, co-general director of Leonardo. It is necessary to have a mention that is able to operate in different sectors and against different threats, such as unmanned and swarm drones, increase the clarification because "Time is the essence" and then focus on production, since "in Italy we have abandoned the supply chain, steel and explosives. We have not allowed SMEs to develop their components", underlined Mariani, adding: "This is a real block that we cannot resolve in a year, it is a question of will. The economic issue is fundamental, a large investment is needed to re-equip."
FOCUS ON COLLABORATIONS BUT WITH ATTENTION TO THE DIVISION OF WORK
Regarding partnership agreements, Leonardo's co-director highlighted that these "are of different types, it cannot be generalised". As regards the "co-production agreements, we must ensure that both production lines have work" underlined Mariani, with an implicit reference to the breakdown in negotiations with Knds, communicated by Leonardo that very day .
Mariani gave the example of the PzH 2000, a 155/52 mm self-propelled howitzer, produced by a consortium formed by the German companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall. There are reports where the Pzh is produced under license, as in the Italian case built under license by the Cio consortium (Iveco-Oto Melara).
According to Leonardo's co-director general, in these cases "we need to be clear about the component that gives technological sovereignty".
RESOURCES NEEDED
Finally, "2% for defense is something unavoidable", Mariani remarked, explaining that "resources are not enough, even if without them we cannot succeed".
The Undersecretary of Defense, Matteo Perego of Cremnago, recalled that the ratio of military expenditure to GDP is currently 1.58%. “We are far from the 2% objective” admitted the undersecretary recalling the “Battle for the exclusion of defense expenses from the stability pact”. Speaking of “European Defense, we must be aware of diluting the numbers of systems and strengthening partnerships. For a future common army today we must think in common defense systems, this will allow us to be competitive" concluded Matteo Perego di Cremnago, Undersecretary of Defense.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/dallucraina-al-mar-rosso-fino-a-gaza-ecco-perche-bisogna-continuare-a-investire-artiglieria/ on Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:50:45 +0000.