Dating back to the Cold War, the appearance of such a weapon on the battlefield was unexpected.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces have reportedly started using the M712 Copperhead, and shell the 155 mm manufactured in the United States in the late 1970s, in recent operations in the Kursk region, Russia.
According to Defense ExpressM712 Copperhead shells were deployed to hit a communications tower near Sudja, in the Kursk region. During this operation, Ukrainian troops used three Copperhead shells launched from M777 howitzers, which reportedly hit their target.
One piece important and now rare artillery
The M712 Copperhead operates with a system of laser guidance which allows it to precisely strike targets within a radius of 3 to 16 kilometers. Each shell weighs approximately 62.4 kilograms, making it an important and now rare piece of artillery. Production ceased several decades ago and it was estimated that around 20,000 units remained in the US military reserves in 1995. In 2017, a few hundred Copperhead shells were supplied to Lebanon to help combat the forces of the 'Islamic State.
