According to information published by the website “Express” on April 24, 2022, the United Kingdom will send AS90 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers and 45,000 artillery ammunition to Ukraine. The howitzers will come from artillery units of the British army.
Citing information from the “Express” website, the British AS90 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers will be sent next week to Poland. The Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in Poland for the use and maintenance before being deployed to Ukraine for combat operations.
The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense has launched a program called Mobile Fires Platform with the goal to acquire a new mobile artillery system that will replace the old AS90 that entered in service with the British army in the early 1990s.
Initially, the British Army operated 179 AS90 artillery systems, and currently, according to the Military Balance 2021, only 89 AS90 howitzers are used by the British army. The artillery howitzer is currently scheduled to be retired in 2030. The donation of AS 90s to Ukraine could accelerate the acquisition of a new artillery system by the British army.
The AS90 nicknamed Braveheart is a 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer manufactured by the British company BAE Systems. The AS90 project was completed in March 1985, and the first prototype was shown at the British Army Equipment Exhibition in June 1986.