2S3 Akatsiya

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2S3 "Akatsiya" (Object 303)

2S3 at the Artillery Museum in Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Type Self-propelled howitzer
Place of origin Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1971-present
Used by See Operators and former operators
Wars See Combat history
Production history
Designed 1967 - 1968
Manufacturer Ural Vehicle Engineering Works (UZTM, "Uraltransmash") in Sverdlovsk
Produced 1970 - 1993
Specifications (2S3M)
Weight 27.5 t[1]
Length 8.4 m with howitzer in forward position (7.765 m hull only)[1]
Width 3.25 m[1]
Height 3.05 m (2.615 m without a machine gun)[1]
Crew 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Armor bullet-proof (15 mm hull, 30 mm front of a hull and a turret)[2]
Primary
armament		 152 mm L/27 D-22 (2A33M) howitzer (ammunition 46 rounds)[3][4]
Secondary
armament		 7.62 mm remotely-controlled PKT tank machine gun (ammunition 1500 rounds)[4]
Engine V-59, 12-cylinder 4-stroke V-shaped water-cooled diesel[3]
520 hp (382.7 kW) at 2000 rpm[3]
Power/weight 18.9 hp/t (13.92 kW/t)
Transmission mechanical double-flow, planetary gear-gearbox unit
Suspension independent torsion bars with hydraulic shock absorbers of 1st and 6th road wheels
Ground clearance 0.45 m[1]
Fuel capacity 830 l[3]
Operational
range		 500 km[3]
Speed 63 km/h (road), 45 km/h (off-road)[3]

The 2S3 "Akatsiya" (Russian - 2С3 «Акация», English - 2S3 Acacia) is a 152 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by the Soviet Union as a response to appearance of American 155 mm M109 howitzer and produced during the Cold War. A project development started in 1967 according to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of USSR from 4 July, 1967. "2S3" is its GRAU designation. The artillery system was developed in Sverdlovsk (design bureau No. 9 of Works named for M. I. Kalinin) and the chassis was developed by "Uraltransmash" Works (UZTM).

Contents

[edit] Description

Designated M1973 by the US Army, the "Akatsiya" is armed with a 152 mm howitzer based on the Soviet D-20 howitzer and is sometimes confused with the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The official Soviet designation was SO-152, but it is more known as the 2S3 "Akatsiya". The factory designation of the gun is D-22 and is also known as the 2A33 (GRAU designation).

Two prototypes of 2S3 were built in the end of 1968. Factory tests were finished in October 1969 and they discovered strong gas contamination of fighting compartment during intensive gunnery, especially with the use of small charges. So army inspectors didn't accept four 2S3 built in summer 1969 for ground tests. But the problem of gas contamination was solved finally and 2S3 entered service of the Soviet Army in 1971. The first three serial 2S3 were built by UZTM in the end of 1970, in 1971 - nine were produced and the works received the order for 70 2S3 in 1973. The massproduction was finished in 1993.

152 mm self-propelled howitzer 2S3 "Akatsiya"
152 mm self-propelled howitzer 2S3 "Akatsiya"

The "Akatsiya" chassis is based on that of the Ob'yekt 123 tracked chassis of the 2K11 Krug surface to air missile system; it includes six (rather than seven as in the 2K11 Krug) twin rubber-tired road wheels, four rubber-tired return rollers (two single and two twin), front drive sprocket with detachable sprocket rings (lantern-wheel gear) and idler wheel per side. The track is 482 mm wide and has 115 links. 2S3 "Akatsiya" can cross 0.7 m high vertical obstacles, 3.0 m wide trenches, 1.0 m fording depth and climb 30° gradients.[1][3] It can be transported by transport plane An-22 (carries two self-propelled howitzers of this type). Driver's and engine compartments are located in a front part of a welded hull, fighting compartment with rotatory welded turret - in a rear part of the hull. Howitzer is equipped with R-123 radio set, R-124 intercom, automatic NBC system and fire-fighting equipment. The V-59 12-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine connects with a mechanical twin gear transmission, a gear box is in one block with a planetary steering gear. The crew consists of 4-6 men: a driver, a gunner, a loader, a commander, and two ammunition bearers, which are positioned to the rear of the vehicle feeding projectiles through two hatches in the hull rear when in masked firing position.

The 152.4 mm L/27 howitzer D-22 (2A33) can be elevated from -4° to +60° with a turret traverse of a full 360°. Rate of fire is 2.6 - 3.5 rounds/min depending on fire conditions. Howitzer is equipped with a dubble-buffle muzzle brake, a semi-automatic vertical wedge breechblock and an ejector. 2S3 has periscopic sight and telescopic sight of direct pointing. Howitzer has separate type of loading with ammunition (40 rounds) arranged in two mechanized stowages (in the hull and in the turret). The 2S3 "Akatsiya" can fire OF-540 and OF-25 HE-Frag 43.56-kg projectiles (also all types of rounds developed for 152 mm towed howitzer-guns ML-20 and D-20, and for towed howitzer D-1) at a maximum range of 18.5 km depending of used charge or rocket-assisted projectiles to a maximum of 24 km. Other projectiles available to the "Akatsiya" include BP-540 HEAT-FS (sight distance is 3 km, 250 mm armor penetration), Br-540B and Br-540 AP-T (115-120 mm armor penetration at a 1000 m), OF-38 "Krasnopol" laser-guided rocket-assisted projectiles, S1 illuminating, ZH3 smoke, nuclear projectiles (with explosive capacity of 2 kt). Secondary armament represents remotely-controlled 7.62 mm PKT tank machine gun on commander's cupola for anti-aircraft defense and self-defence in close combat.

[edit] Variants

  • 2S3 - basic variant. Produced in 1970-1975.
    • Ob'yekt 303 armed with a 152 mm D-11 howitzer (bag loading). Experimental prototype built in the end of 1960s.
      • Ob'yekt 303 armed with a 152 mm D-11M howitzer (bag loading). Experimental prototype built in the end of 1960s.
    • 2S3M equipped with a one mechanized drum-type stowage for 12 rounds, the amount of hatches in rear armored plates of the hull and the turret was reduced, the configuration of those hatches was changed, antenna of R-123 radio set was tranfered on a turret top. Ammunition was increased from 40 to 46 rounds (usually consists of 42 OF-540 and OF-25 HE-Frag projectiles, and of 4 BP-540 HEAT-FS projectiles). Much more powerful OF-29 HE-Frag projectiles and OF-38 "Krasnopol" laser-guided rocket-assisted projectiles were developed for 2S3M. The modernized howitzer has a designator 2A33M. Produced in 1975-1987.
      • 2S3M1 equipped with a command data acquisition and display equipment, and with a new SP-538 sight. OF-38 "Krasnopol" laser-guided rocket-assisted projectiles were added to standard ammunition. Produced in 1987-1993. All "Akatsiya" SPGs of previous variants were modernized to 2S3M1 level.
        • 2S3M2 armed with a new 155 mm M-385 howitzer. Modernized variant equipped with an automatic fire control system and a satellite navigational system. Developed in 2000.

[edit] Combat history

2S3 "Akatsiya" was intended for inventory of artillery regiments of Soviet tank and motorized rifle divisions. At first only one gun battalion of each artillery regiment was equipped with 2S3 "Akatsiya" (18 self-propelled howitzers). In the end of 1980s artillery regiments of Soviet first echelon divisions (for example, of Group of Soviet Forces in Germany) each had 54 self-propelled howitzers of this type (3 gun battalions). 2S3 "Akatsiya" proved to be quite effective and reliable SPG during combat operations in Afghanistan and Chechnya, but at the moment it considered in the Russian Army as outdated because of insufficient range of fire in comparison with modern SPGs. Modernized variant 2S3M2 armed with the new 155 mm M-385 howitzer was developed in 2000 and 2 artillery battalions of the Russian Army have been reequipped with 2S3M2 in 2006 already.[5]

[edit] Operators and former operators

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Самоходная артиллерийская установка 2С3 "Акация"
  2. ^ 2С3 Акация
  3. ^ a b c d e f g 152-мм самоходная гаубица 2С3 «Акация» (2S3 Akatsiya 152-mm self-propelled artillery system)
  4. ^ a b 2С3 Акация - Описание
  5. ^ Самоходная артиллерия - Военный паритет: мобильная МБР Тополь, основной боевой танк Т-90, истребитель МиГ-29, ракета Булава, ракеты средней дальности
  6. ^ http://disarmament2.un.org/UN_REGISTER.nsf
  7. ^ 2s3 Akatsia Self-Propelled Howitzer | Russian Arms, Military Technology, Analysis of Russia's Military Forces

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Soviet and post-Soviet armoured fighting vehicles after World War II
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Russian: Pantsyr-S1 · 9K38 Buk-M1-2 (SA-17 Grizzly)
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