Artillery was for a long time associated with massed shelling — dozens of shots over a large area, significant expenditure of ammunition, and a long time of preparation. Today this approach is gradually changing. «Fire over an area» is being replaced by the precise destruction of concrete targets with a minimal quantity of shots.
BlueBird Tech prepared this material for its readers in order to simply and clearly explain: how artillery works, how a howitzer differs from high-precision weapons, why drones and electronics have become no less important for artillerymen than the guns themselves, and how these changes affect the course of the war.
Artillery as the Basis of the Firepower of the Modern Army of Ukraine
Artillery is a means of destroying targets at a great distance. Its main task is to support infantry, destroy equipment, depots, fortifications, and restrain the offensive of the enemy.
In practice this looks as follows: infantry or reconnaissance detects a target, transmits the coordinates, and artillery delivers a strike without direct contact with the enemy. That is precisely why artillery is often called the «long arm» of the army.
In modern warfare, artillery does not work separately. It is connected with:
- drones, which find and confirm targets;
- communication systems, which transmit coordinates;
- digital management systems, which shorten the time from detection to a shot.
Without this technological connection, even a powerful artillery system loses effectiveness, since speed and precision today are more important than the quantity of shots.
Howitzers and Classic Artillery: the Principle of Action and Combat Application
A howitzer is an artillery gun that fires along a high-angle trajectory. In simple words, the shell flies along an arc and falls on the target from above. This makes it possible to hit objects behind cover, in trenches, or behind hills.
Classic artillery usually works as follows: first, the area of the possible location of the enemy is determined, then ranging shots are performed, the fire is corrected, and only after this is the main strike delivered.
Such an approach is effective but has substantial downsides. For the destruction of one target, a lot of ammunition and time are often needed. An artillery unit stays at a position longer, which increases the risk of its detection and destruction in response. In conditions of maneuver warfare, this becomes a serious problem.
The Transition to High-Precision Artillery Weapons and Guided Munitions
High-precision artillery works according to a different principle — its goal is to hit a concrete target with the first or second shot.
This became possible thanks to: guided munitions, which adjust their flight; GPS and laser guidance; drones that transmit precise coordinates of targets; electronic and digital systems of fire management.
In practice this means that instead of dozens of shots over an area, artillery can deliver one precise strike on a depot, equipment, or a command point. This significantly shortens the time of work from a position, reduces the expenditure of ammunition, and complicates the counter-battery fire of the enemy.
An important role in this process is played by electronic reconnaissance and threat-detection assets. They make it possible to receive information about the situation faster, record the activity of the enemy, and reduce the risks for artillery units even before opening fire.
It is precisely such electronic solutions for increasing the precision and safety of combat operations that the Ukrainian producer BlueBird Tech develops. The principles of the operation of high-precision weapons are explained in more detail in the material «High-precision weapons: missile systems and artillery shells».
Conclusion
Artillery changed not because classic howitzers lost relevance but because modern warfare requires other approaches. Today, precision, the speed of reaction, and technological interaction between various systems have become decisive.
The combination of artillery, high-precision weapons, drones, and electronic reconnaissance assets has made fire more effective and less risky for units. This is precisely what modern artillery looks like in practice — not as massed shelling but as the coordinated work of technologies.