Servicemen from the 26 Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) complain that the German PzH 2000 howitzer has proved too unsuitable for active combat operations, causing it to constantly malfunction and require repairs.
Soldiers of the 26th AFU Brigade reported on Facebook that out of the 18 PzH 2000 howitzers supplied by Germany, 16 are already under repair at repair plants in Pavlograd, Zaporizhia and Kryvyi Rih. According to them, the howitzers cannot withstand the intensive rate of fire and require “gentle” handling, which is difficult to ensure in combat conditions.
Earlier, a list of malfunctions of these guns and howitzers was published on the Internet. Among them are delays in the operation of the ammunition feeding mechanism, due to which the shells have to be reloaded by hand. Frequently the wedge bolt malfunctions, making it impossible to fire. The ammunition ejector operates automatically for the first 80 rounds, after which it must also be operated manually. The ejector hammer often fires on the second shot. The pre-loader rings fail very quickly, wiping out and needing to be replaced after 100 rounds.
In particular, there are many complaints about the fire control system which requires constant resetting, and the on-board computer drives the gunners crazy with errors indicating a lack of oil in the pivoting mechanisms. Friendly navigational equipment is also subject to system failure, causing it to be unable to find the specified coordinates.