Operation UNIFIER provides M777 maintenance training to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

October 16, 2023 - Defence Stories

By: Captain Breanne Brezinski, Public Affairs Officer, Joint Task Force-Ukraine

On August 14, 2023, Operation (Op) UNIFIER started to provide maintenance training on the M777A2 howitzer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Poland. This new training comes at the request of the Ukrainian government and is currently scheduled to run until November 2023.

The M777 maintenance training is specifically designed to address the requirements outlined by the AFU to enhance their combat effectiveness. The team of three technicians from the Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) provides the training on maintenance aspects from field to third-line maintenance for approximately 24 AFU soldiers.

A Warrant Officer deployed as part of the M777 training team outlines the benefit of the training: “The Ukrainian military will take back the repair procedures that we perform back in Canada on repairing the M777 as well as the first line and second line procedures.” The Warrant Officer has not been identified because of personnel security measures.

The first training serial, which ended at the beginning of September covered field (firstline) maintenance using line-replaceable modules and component replacement, or repairs on or close to the weapon system.

Second-line maintenance requires advanced support from experienced service technicians or technical support teams. These repairs typically involve advanced diagnostic tools and evaluations, device interactions and troubleshooting, as well as on-site equipment repairs.

AFU members will be taught third-line maintenance in the fall. Third-line maintenance is typically very in-depth and includes how to repair the weapon system’s parts, such as a major equipment overhaul.

Breaking down the maintenance training into serials will foster the AFU soldiers’ capacity to absorb a tremendous amount of information in a short time.

The AFU members are not the only ones benefiting from the M777 maintenance training. The instructors acknowledge the mutual benefit from sharing lessons learned. “The key takeaway of the training is the shared repair procedures between the Canadian and the Ukrainian military,” said one instructor.

The M777 maintenance training element is one of six currently operating under Op UNIFIER, teaching both basic and advanced military skills to AFU soldiers. Op UNIFIER also provides the following training:  Recruit Training in the United Kingdom; Combat Medic Training in Poland; Armoured Training Element in Poland; Sapper Training in Poland and Leadership Development Training in Latvia.

The new M777 maintenance training element is one example of how Op UNIFIER is evolving to meet the training requirements of the AFU to defend their country’s sovereignty, freedoms, and independence after Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.