2S3 Akatsiya

The 2S3 Akatsiya is a tracked, self-propelled howitzer developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the 1960s. Today, this 152-mm mobile artillery piece is part of the Russian Ground Forces arsenal, with 850 units having been built by Uraltransmash so far. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1971. It was fielded in the Soviet-Afghan War (1980s), the Chechen Wars, the Iran-Iraq War, and the Syrian Civil War.

The 2S3 Akatsiya consists of a 152.4-mm L/34 howitzer, which is mounted in a rotatory turret on the tracked chassis GM-123. The gun is a derivative of the Gun-Howitzer D-20 M1955, which was adapted for use as a self-propelled artillery piece. The tracked chassis GM-123, on the other hand, was also designed for other mobile guns, such as the 2S4 Tyulpan, the 2K11 Krug, and the 2S5 Giatsint-S.

Specifications

Type: self-propelled howitzer

Weight: 28 tons

Barrel Length: 5.195 m

Howitzer Caliber: 152.4-mm

Howitzer Breech: semi-automatic, vertical sliding wedge.

Elevation: -4 to +60 degrees.

Traverse: 360 degrees.

Maximum Range: 18.5 km

Chassis Length: 7.765 m

Chassis Width: 3.25 m

Height: 3.05 m

Armor:  30-mm (chassis front and turret); 15-mm (sides and back of chassis).

Powerplant: a 520-HP, 12-cylinder, 4-stroke, diesel engine.

Vehicle Range: 500 km.

The 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery in action (video)