Russain Self-Propelled Artillery

The Russain self-propelled artillery are accurate, lethal, and produced in large number. The Russian Ground Forces have the highest number of self-propelled howitzers among the nations of the world, doubling the number of the US Army's self-propelled artillery units. Having a large territory and being surrounded on its western borders by menacing NATO's countries forced Russia to build up and maintain an astonishing number of engine-powered and tracked howitzers and guns of different calibers. Most of them are armored as they are fitted with advanced GPS and hi-tech sensors and equipment. About 65% of them were designed and manufactured by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War years, but they have been modernized and updated by the Russian government ever since.

Their main mission is to provide fire support to spearhead infantry and armored units during a massive attack or counteroffensive to conquer enemy territory or regain lost ground respectively. Their advantage over the truck-drawn field artillery is that they are always ready to fire at the enemy positions as soon as they stop at their required vantage points as most of them are equipped with automatic loader. There is no need for them to be set up by an unprotected crew of soldiers, who spend about an hour to get it ready, as is the case with traditionally field artillery.

List of of Russian self-propelled artillery howitzers in service

2S19 Msta- It is a 152.4-mm howitzer, which has a maximum range of 25 km. It is mounted on the hull of the T-80 main battle tank. Its crew is protected by steel and ceramic armor. Russia has 870 combat-ready 2S19 Msta howitzers.

2S3 Akatsiya- It is also a 152.4-mm howitzer, which can fire 43-kg shells up to a maximum distance of 19 km. It is mounted on a chassis which was specially designed for it, being powered by a 12-cylinder 520-hp, diesel engine. Total number in service: 810, with 1,000 units in reserve. Turret armor is 30-mm-thick steel plate.

2S5 Giatsint-S- This powerful 152-mm-caliber gun uses the SA4 Krug hull. It can fire to a maximum range of 28 km, using conventional shells and up to 40 km using rocket-assisted ammunition. There are 150 Giatsint-S howitzers in service with the Russian Ground Forces, with more than 800 in inventory storage.

2S7M Malka- A 203-mm howitzer mounted on a T-80 tank hull. Although it has no turret, its powerful gun can fire heavy shells to a maximum range of 40 km. Its hull is powered by a 840-hp diesel engine. Total number: 80 units, with 250 in backup store.

2S1 Gvozdika- It is a 122-mm howitzer, which is mounted in an all-welded steel turret on top of a MTLBu chassis. Although it is smaller in caliber as the ones mentioned above, it can be used in the anti-tank role, since it can also fire HE and armor-piercing ammunition as well as the Kitilov laser-guided ammunition. Total number in service: 200, with 1,900 units in reserve.

2S4 Tyulpan- It is a 240-mm-caliber mortar, which is mounted on the GM-123 chassis. Although it is classified as a mortar, it is loaded by the breech. It is equipped with autoloader and a laser range-finder. Russia has 75 Tyulpan mortars in active service, with about 350 in reserve.

2S35 Koalitsiya-SV- This 152-mm self-propelled howitzer is the latest development of the UralTransMash (Uralvagonzavod). It is mounted in an armored turret set on the T-14 Armata tank hull. It is in service since 2016 as only 18 of them have been delivered to the Russian Ground Forces so far. It is also equipped with a 12.7-mm machine gun mounted in a remote weapon station.

Below, the dreaded 2S19 Msta howitzer during a military maneuver on the Russian plain.

Below, the 2S3 Akatsiya howitzer

The power of Russian self-propelled artillery (video)