Ukrainian soldiers finalize AS90 Howitzer training in England

A second batch of Ukrainian warfighters has completed AS90 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzer training in the UK.

The program followed the completion of Ukraine’s Challenger 2 main battle tank training in March.

The three-week AS90 course concluded with a live-fire demonstration in southern England.

Led by the British Army’s Royal School of Artillery (RSA), the howitzer training was launched as part of a long-term commitment to support Ukrainian forces in their ongoing conflict against Russia.

Soldiers that passed the training will now be deployed to man and sustain the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ AS90 weapon system.

Reconfigured Artillery Training

According to the British Army, the howitzer training was developed to prepare AS90 operators for Ukraine as quickly as possible.

The practice included only the “most vital skills” instead of the more extended AS90 training for British warfighters.

“These soldiers are not recruits, however the range of military experience varies from just a few months to decades, and we have had to tailor the training accordingly,” RSA Chief Instructor Lt. Col. Ed Botterill stated.

“We have delivered a much compressed training package in which we have taught them how to use, fire and maintain the AS90.”

Effort in Preparation

Throughout the program, Ukrainian personnel were eager to learn more about the artillery system’s utility despite challenges such as shortened training timelines and language differences.

“They too have worked hard. They have soaked up everything we have taught them but today it comes to an end. They will be gone from us and within a couple of weeks they will be firing the AS90 in anger and putting into practice all they have learnt,” Botterill said.