Latest news with #artillery
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Inert artillery shell located in Swansea removed for safe disposal: Toronto police
Emergency crews respond in the area of Deforest Road and Windermere Avenue after an artillery shell was located on Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Jacob Estrin/CTV News Toronto) Toronto police's explosive disposal unit (EDU) has removed an inert artillery shell from a residential area in Swansea. Emergency crews received a call at 2:44 p.m. for an 'ordnance' located in the area of Deforest Road and Windermere Avenue, south of Bloor Street West. Members of the EDU responded and later removed the artillery shell for safe disposal. Explosives disposal unit Toronto police's explosives disposal unit attend the area of Deforest Road and Windermere Avenue where an artillery shell was found on Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Jacob Estrin/CTV News Toronto) Police said no injuries were reported. Residents in the area were asked to stay inside as the EDU investigated the package. There were also road closures, but all have been reopened.
Forbes
a day ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Ukraine Wears Down Russian Artillery, But Drone Threat Is Growing
A destroyed Russian self-propelled gun Headlines early on in the invasion warned about the sheer power of Russian artillery, with advances following massive 'fire curtain' barrages. Russian artillery was estimated outgun Ukrainian by a factor of ten, and President Zelensky repeatedly appealed to allies for more shells. The situation has changed, but as 'Michael,' Commander of the Typhoon drone unit of the National Guard of Ukraine, told me, the artillery has not gone away -- and drones are a growing threat. Ukraine has been highly successful at countering Russian artillery. Any gun firing can be spotted by counter-artillery radar, like the U.S. -made AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder, which tracks shells in flight and calculates their source. New Ukrainian-made acoustic detectors which recently went into mass production are likely to figure increasingly. U.S. delivering two AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radar units to Ukraine in 2015 'The radar is typically the first step. It can detect the approximate area of a firing position, but it's not precise,' says Michael. 'Depending on distance and terrain, it may narrow the location down to a 200-by-200-meter area, which is too broad for a direct strike.' Pinpointing the exact firing location is a job for the drones. 'Drones are essential for confirming the exact location of artillery,' says Michael. 'We use fixed-wing drones, some with real-time video, others capturing high-resolution photos, for wide-area reconnaissance. These platforms allow us to assess whether the artillery is still in position and provide up-to-date imagery.' Visual observation using the drone's powerful zoom cameras is usually the best way to find artillery. 'Artillery is easiest to spot when it's firing -- muzzle flashes, smoke, or movement of the crew make it visible,' says Michael. 'Also, we can identify the artillery by its silhouette, even if it's partially hidden somewhere in the trees or buildings. In covered areas, we look for signs like tracks, disturbed ground, or heat if thermal optics are available.' When a drone operator positively confirms the exact location of a Russian artillery piece, it needs to be struck rapidly before it can move. In the past this would have been a matter of counter battery fire, using artillery to destroy artillery. Now there are other options. Michael says that counter-battery fire is still used, with a drone operator giving the co-ordinates of the target to the gun crew and calling out adjustments needed to put shells on target. But much of the counter-battery work ss carried out by drones. 'FPV drones, both quadcopters and fixed-wing types, have become more effective than traditional artillery in terms of precision engagement,' says Michael. 'A high-quality FPV drone for now is the most effective way to destroy the artillery system.' Ukrainian volunteers with DARTS fixed-wing FPV Several different types are used depending on the range, with fixed-wing FPVs typically having longer reach. Surprisingly, drones are preferred because they are faster. It is highly counter-intuitive that 100 mph drone will reach a target quicker than a 700-mph artillery shell, but what counts is how long it takes to hit the target. 'With FPV drones, even though the flight time can be minutes depending on the distance, the first strike often hits,' Michael explains. 'With artillery it often takes several rounds to hit the target, especially in dynamic conditions.' Dynamic conditions may mean a situation where a self-propelled gun fires off a few rounds and speeds away down a track. An artillery shell arriving after thirty seconds will miss by hundreds of meters. A drone which arrives later can spot the vehicle, follow it, and carry out a precision strike. Towed guns are less likely to get away. But they are harder targets because they are not packed with fuel and ammunition like self-propelled guns. A follow-up FPV from Bords of Magyar inspects damage to a Russian howitzer, confirming the barrel ... More has been perforated making the weapon useless 'To effectively disable them, you have to hit specific parts—like the breech, recoil system, or the towing vehicle,' says Michael. The preferred technique has been previously seen in videos from the Birds of Magyar unit, with FPV drones hovering a few inches away from a gun barrel before detonating. Scoring a hit requires a high level of operator skill as well as a robust technical setup. 'Maintaining a reliable video signal is critical.' says Michael. 'Without a stable connection between the drone and ground operator, it's hard to carry out the kind of pinpoint strike needed for such a small target,' Fiber drones, which provide a high-resolution image and are not affected by interference or terrain, and which Ukraine is starting to deploy at scale, may help with this. Afterwards reconnaissance drones can confirm whether a kill has been scored or whether further action is required. But while Ukraine claims to have destroyed a large number of Russian artillery pieces, a claim supported by the rate at which the stockpiles in Russia are being depleted, the Russians are still able to maintain a significant artillery forced at the front. Some 2024 estimates suggested that Russia might start running low this year, it has not happened yet. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi says Russia's long-range striking power has been halved, but on the front line there are still plenty of shells coming down. 'Their artillery remains a serious and ongoing threat,' says Michael. And while Ukrainian interceptors have brought down thousands of the Russian reconnaissance drones that find targets for their artillery, these are still also very much present. 'As for Russian recon drones, there's no sign of a shortage,' says Michael. 'Recon drones are constantly present in the air.' Meanwhile another sort of drone is giving more concern. The Russian group Sudoplatov produces large numbers of FPVs 'What has changed is the rise in the use of FPV drones,' says Michael. 'Currently, we're observing several hundred FPV strikes per day. These drones are increasingly taking over roles that would have traditionally involved artillery fire, especially for high-precision or time-sensitive targets.' [My emphasis] What is interesting here is that many commentators have argued that Ukraine only uses drones because it lacks artillery. Now it seems that Russia, which still seems to have abundant artillery, is also leaning increasingly into drones for long-range strikes. Like Ukraine, Russia has been ramping up FPV production at pace, and plans to build 2 million in 2025, compared to 3 million artillery shells. At this rate, both countries will soon be fielding more FPVs than artillery shells. Russia's artillery is rapidly being eroded as the thousands of guns in storage are put into service and destroyed. When it is gone, the days of massed firepower will have passed. But the era of massed precision drone strikes will just be beginning.
NHK
a day ago
- Politics
- NHK
NHK obtains Russian-language manual for N.Korean artillery piece
NHK has obtained what is believed to be an operation manual written in the Russian language for a self-propelled artillery piece made in North Korea. Pyongyang continues to assist Russia's invasion of Ukraine by providing Moscow with large amounts of weapons and ammunition. NHK was given the manual by the intelligence organization of the Ukrainian military. The document is believed to be for the "Juche Cannon," a gun with a caliber of 170 millimeters. The manual is described as being created by a Russian Army artillery unit and others. It contains detailed explanations featuring photos. The reader is told how to adjust and maintain parts needed to operate the system and how to aim the gun. It says the artillery piece has a range of more than 50 kilometers and can fire two shells in one minute. The manual also contains a table of firing angles. The North Korean gun is believed to have been deployed on battlefields, and Ukraine's drones have captured images of it. Koizumi Yu is an associate professor of the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology and an expert on the Russian military. He said the Russian manual is very detailed, possibly nearly to the extent of the original North Korean edition. Koizumi noted that powerful long-range weapons are useful in the conflict, because drones provide both sides a full view of each other's movements on the battlefield. He said military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has deepened significantly.
NHK
6 days ago
- Business
- NHK
North Korean leader instructs production of more artillery shells
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a munitions enterprise and called for boosting the production of artillery shells. Some experts estimate that 60 percent of the ammunition Russia is using to attack Ukraine is made in the North. Saturday's edition of the ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim inspected the enterprise's factory on Friday. It said the leader learned about the output for the first half of this year. The paper said Kim pointed to the need to further expand the production capacity to increase the output of new powerful shells suitable for modern warfare. A multinational team monitoring UN sanctions on North Korea said in a report released last month that Pyongyang supplied Moscow with as many as 9 million rounds of artillery and other ammunition in 2024 alone. The team was created by 11 nations, including Japan, the United States and South Korea. North Korean media outlets reported last month that Kim toured a munitions plant, where he also instructed a further increase in the production of shells.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Multimillion-pound artillery factory opens in Sheffield
A new £25m artillery factory aimed at helping restore critical gun barrel manufacturing capability in the UK has opened in 94,000 sq ft (8,733 sq m) BAE Systems facility would specialise in artillery expertise and would see Sheffield as the base for UK howitzer production, according to the facility, due to be operational by the end of the year, would create 200 new high-skilled jobs and support over 60 businesses across the UK supply chain, it the site, Defence Secretary John Healey said: "This new factory is a big boost for South Yorkshire and a significant step forward in strengthening our British defence industrial base." The new facility will add to BAE Systems' UK operations, which includes submarine and shipbuilding facilities in Barrow on Furness and aerospace sites in Warton and operational, the site was expected to initially deliver the company's M777 lightweight towed howitzer, used by US and Canadian forces as well as in Ukraine. At the opening of the site, John Borton, managing director of BAE Systems' Weapons Systems UK business, paid tribute to "Sheffield's rich manufacturing history" and described the city as an "industrial powerhouse"."The access we have to talent with great universities on hand and the manufacturing pedigree here is a huge pull for us. It ticks a lot of boxes," he Lucas, 24, an apprentice with BAE Systems based in Barrow, said he hoped that one day he could work in the new factory in Sheffield."I would love to work here one day. This will be at the cutting edge of future development," he said."For any young people passionate about technology, this could be a great place to work." Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence awarded BAE Systems a contract to deliver 150 British-designed artillery barrels to Ukraine, working with Sheffield Forgemasters to deliver on the government's commitment to support the war-torn of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard welcomed the investment in South said: "This is what we are good at - building things. We want the world to sit up and take notice."From a national perspective we all feel the world is getting more dangerous. We want to feel secure. Many of these weapons will go to places like Ukraine." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
