British army faces shortage of spare parts for L118 howitzers

The United Kingdom is facing difficulties due to a shortage of components for 105-millimetre L118 howitzers, which have been in service since the 1970s. This situation could negatively impact the combat readiness of British artillery units.

Government response to parliamentary query

Information about the problem was published by Defense Express, citing an official response from the British government to a parliamentary query. State Minister for Readiness and Defence Industry Luke Pollard stated that the authorities are working with manufacturers to resolve the situation. Among the priorities are modernising the spare parts procurement system and improving the reliability of artillery weapons maintenance.

Causes of the shortage and impact on the arsenal

According to Defense Express, the 105-mm L118 howitzers remain the largest category of artillery systems in the British arsenal. This state of affairs is due, in part, to the transfer of AS-90 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine and the limited number of more modern analogues in its own arsenal.

Connection to the Ukrainian localisation programme

It is worth noting that Ukraine was provided with related L119 howitzers, and American M119s are also in use. Increased production of components for British systems could potentially benefit Ukraine as well. It is known that Kyiv agreed to localise the production of L118/L119 at the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine-Building Plant. However, it remains unknown whether the Ukrainian side has ordered new artillery systems.