Of the world's most powerful self-propelled mortars 2С4 "Tulip" caliber 240 mm. The exercises took place at night. The soldiers, raised on a training alert, advanced with equipment to the designated area and repulsed the attack of the sabotage group of the mock enemy.

The "Tulip" is an elderly weapon, but it still retains its combat power, allowing it to be used in cases where artillery installations of more modest calibers are powerless. It is indispensable for the destruction of strong fortifications, easily copes with armored vehicles. Due to the high power of the warhead, it is capable of incapacitating large formations of manpower. For special cases, a nuclear charge with a capacity of 2 kilotons is provided. Of course, in the Primorsky Territory, such shells were not removed from the warehouse.

"Tulip", put into service in 1972, was developed at the Ural transport engineering plant in Yekaterinburg (then - Sverdlovsk). The Ural designers, who succeeded in creating a number of self-propelled artillery installations, managed to do what the Japanese and Americans repeatedly approached. In 1943, Japanese designers mounted a 273 mm mortar on a tracked chassis, calling it Type 4 "Ha-To". The caliber seemed small to them, and it was increased to 300 mm, having made 4 prototypes. The mortar shot at 3 kilometers, but after 10 shots the chassis collapsed.

In the mid-40s, the Americans began to make a self-propelled 250 mm mortar. A layout was made. However, the development came to a standstill, and its funding was discontinued.

In the Urals, the case was brought to a victorious end. As a result, the mortar has an excellent range, reaching 20 kilometers. And a full range of ammunition: high-explosive, incendiary, cluster, nuclear. The maximum explosive mass is approaching 50 kg. Among them is the Smelchak-M guided mine, which has laser guidance on the target. Crew - 5 people.

The name "Tulip" involuntarily reminds of the slogan Chairman Mao: "Let a hundred flowers bloom." In the domestic artillery, of course, there are fewer flowers. But it is quite possible to make an impressive bouquet of them. Since the designers of Soviet and Russian self-propelled guns, when naming their products, demonstrate an increased interest in the names of flowers.

2С1 "Carnation"- self-propelled howitzer of 122 mm caliber, developed at the Kharkov Tractor Plant. S. Ordzhonikidze. Since 1971 it has been in service with the Soviet and now the Russian army. ACS "Carnation" for a long time was the main artillery weapon of motorized rifle regiments. More than 10 thousand of these effective and unpretentious howitzers were produced.

Despite the fact that the production of "Carnations" was discontinued in 1991, they were not sent for indefinite storage. In 2003, a modernization program was launched, as a result of which the 2S1M1 modification had an automated control and gun guidance system. The firing range of conventional projectiles is 15 km, active-reactive projectiles - 22 km. The ammunition load also includes the Kitolov armor-piercing guided projectiles.

2C2 "Violet"- self-propelled airborne howitzer of 122 mm caliber. Developed at the Volgograd Tractor Plant in the late 60s. However, the project was closed due to the inability to meet the requirements of the technical task. And they were extremely tough: to drop the howitzer from the An-12 aircraft, its weight should not exceed 10 tons. The designers have dealt with weight problems. But at the same time, the chassis design was not very reliable: the recoil of the 122-mm gun was excessive for him.

With this problem, but already within the framework of another, "not flower", ROC coped with Klimovsk, near Moscow, where TsNIITOCHMASH is located. Was developed ACS 2S9 "Nona-S" caliber 120 mm, adopted by the Airborne Forces in 1980. The howitzer, which weighs no more than 8 tons, can be easily parachuted and has no problems with the reliability of all its systems.

2С3 "Acacia"- divisional self-propelled howitzer of a solid 152 mm caliber. Developed at the Ural Transport Engineering Plant. Operated since 1971. This self-propelled gun became the first domestic self-propelled howitzer of such a large caliber. In subsequent years, it was repeatedly modernized. 2S3M2 is already a Russian model, produced since 2006. It uses a modern fire control system and improved crew protection, as well as new ammunition. The firing range of high-explosive fragmentation projectiles has been increased to 19.2 km, and active-rocket projectiles - up to 25 km. Ammunition has been increased to 46 rounds. At the moment, the next modification of "Akatsia" is being prepared - 2S3M3.

2C5 "Hyacinth-S"- self-propelled gun of 152 mm caliber. Developed at the Ural Transport Engineering Plant. The gun was created in SKB-172 (Motovilikhinsky factories). Has been in operation since 1976.

With the same caliber as the "Akatsia", it has significant differences, predetermined by the difference between the cannon and the howitzer. The howitzer fires along a hinged trajectory, hitting sheltered targets, the cannon - on a flat one, and therefore has a significantly lower barrel elevation angle. The initial velocity of the cannon projectile is higher due to the longer barrel length and more powder used in the shot. Therefore, the firing range of the cannon is greater. But at the same time, the gun is significantly heavier, since it has not only a longer barrel compared to the howitzer, but also its walls are thicker in order to withstand the greater pressure of the powder gases.

The maximum firing range of the Hyacinth-S is 37 km. Among his ammunition are the Krasnopol corrected projectiles. And also a lovely wildflower " chamomile", Which turns out to be a projectile with a nuclear charge.

2S7 "Peony"- self-propelled gun of 203 mm caliber. It was created in Leningrad at the Putilovsky plant in the mid-70s. It is distinguished by increased firepower and serves to suppress rear services, destroy especially important objects and means of nuclear attack in tactical depth at a distance of up to 47 kilometers. The weight of 45 tons testifies to the solidity of this weapon. The crew consists of 7 people. The rifled barrel is 11 meters long. The mass of the shells is 110 kilograms. The ammunition load includes high-explosive fragmentation, concrete-piercing, cluster, active-rocket projectiles. There are also nuclear ones - "Kleshchevina", "Saphenets", "Perforator". More than 500 "Peonies" were produced, both basic modification and modified ACS 2S7M.

2С8 "Astra"- a self-propelled experimental battalion mortar of 120 mm caliber. It was created in the late 70s at the Central Research Institute "Burevestnik" on the chassis of the self-propelled howitzer "Gvozdika". The breech-loading mortar was equipped with a device that automates the reloading of the gun. In this connection, the "Astra" had an increased rate of fire. The gun had the usual firing range for mortars - 7.1 km. But active-rocket mines were able to fly up to 9 km.

However, the project was canceled due to the idea of ​​creating the most versatile self-propelled gun 2S17-2 "Nona-SV", which is a cannon, a howitzer and a mortar "in one bottle." It did not have significant advantages in range and firing accuracy, but it had a greater destructive ability due to the use of special shells with a rifling along the hull. The projectile flew into a larger number of fragments, which had a high speed - 1850 m / s versus 1300 m / s. However, howitzer and cannon (only 12 km) characteristics were extremely unconvincing. Therefore, this project was also closed.

Tried to bloom in the domestic defense industry and another flower - tank guided missile "Lotus". Its development in the 60s was carried out by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KB-14). Aiming the projectile at the target was carried out using a laser beam. The complex was supposed to be installed on a new heavy tank, which was being developed at ChTZ. However, the creation of the tank was curtailed. Nevertheless, the "Lotus" complex in 1964 was tested at the Gorokhovets test site, making a favorable impression on the commission. But the project was soon closed.

Latest news

19.12.2019

19:52

17:39

15:43
12/18/2019

13:24

09:39
December 17, 2019

13:54
16.12.2019

Self-propelled howitzer 152-mm 2S5 "Hyacinth-S"

The 2S5 "Hyacinth-S" is a Soviet 152-mm self-propelled corps cannon designed to suppress and destroy nuclear attack weapons, defeat control bodies, rear services, manpower and military equipment of the enemy in concentration areas and strong points, for the destruction of fortifications.

The 152-mm self-propelled gun 2S5 "Hyacinth" was developed by the Special Design Bureau of the Perm Machine-Building Plant and the Sverdlovsk Transport Machine-Building Plant. From the very beginning, the development of the gun was carried out in a self-propelled version ("Hyacinth-S") and towed ("Hyacinth-B"). Both versions had identical ballistics and ammunition, which were specially developed again. There were no shots interchangeable with the Hyacinth in the Soviet Army. In September 1969, the preliminary designs of the Hyacinth self-propelled guns were considered in open, conning and tower versions. Open version accepted.

G. S. Efimov was appointed chief designer of the chassis, Yu. N. Kalachnikov worked on the 152-mm 2A37 cannon, and A. A. Kallistov worked on the 152-mm ammunition. In 1976, the vehicle began to enter service with artillery brigades and divisions, and in 1977, "Hyacinths" were launched into mass production.

The body of the machine is made by welding from armor plates with a thickness of 30 mm, which provides anti-bullet and anti-splinter protection.

In the front part of the hull, on the right, there is an engine-transmission compartment (MTO) with an installed V-shaped 12-cylinder multi-fuel liquid-cooled engine V-59 with a capacity of 520 hp. (382 kW) in a single unit with a mechanical two-flow transmission. To the right of the MTO there is a control compartment with a commander's cupola behind the driver's seat. The fighting compartment is located in the central part of the hull and in the stern. The ammunition stowage is located aft in vertical mechanized stowage.

"Hyacinths" have a tracked chassis similar to the 2SZ "Akatsia" chassis. 2S5 belongs to the type of open installations, so the gun is mounted on the rear of the chassis without a turret. Additional stability "Hyacinth" gives a hinged base plate, so it is almost impossible to fire on the move.

The machine is relatively small, so it is easy to transport it, including by air. The armored hull protects the crew from bullets and shrapnel. The self-propelled gun has good cross-country ability, maneuverability, it is easy to change the position on it. In addition, with built-in dozer equipment, she is able to quickly dig herself a trench. It takes only about 4 minutes to move from the stowed position to a combat vehicle.

The main armament of the 2S5 Hyacinth-S self-propelled guns is the 152.4-mm 2A37 cannon, which is located on a self-propelled chassis with a breech in the stern and a barrel towards the bow on special stops. Due to this arrangement, it was possible to reduce the transport dimensions of the car. The gun is equipped with a multi-slot muzzle brake, a semi-automatic breech, a hydropneumatic accumulator that uses recoil energy and a chain rammer of a projectile and a cartridge case into the chamber. The cannon is loaded separately-sleeve.

The mechanized ammo rack and loading mechanism provide an automatic firing cycle at a rate of 5 rounds per minute. Shots can be fed both from the ammunition rack and from the ground. During firing, the gunner is outside the SPG hull, in the embrasure to the left of the gun, where all the sighting devices are located. During firing, the base plate is folded back in the stern, which transfers the recoil energy when fired onto the ground, making the ACS very stable.

The recoil brake of the gun is hydraulic, the recoil brake is pneumatic. The maximum firing range from a cannon with conventional projectiles is 28,400 m, with active rocket projectiles - 33,500 m. The mass of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is 46 kg.

An additional armament of the self-propelled gun is a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun mounted on the commander's cupola.
Self-propelled howitzer 152-mm 2S5 "Hyacinth-S" is in service in many countries around the world. In Ukraine, there are 24 2S5 units, and in the Russian ground forces - 950 2S5 units, there are also 48 units of the machine in the coastal troops of the Russian Navy.

In the 1960s-1970s, several samples of self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) for various purposes were created in the Soviet Union. Most of them were named colors by a strange whim of the military and developers. The core of this "flower garden", of course, are self-propelled guns "Acacia", "Tulip" and "Hyacinth". The main thing that unites them is the chassis. When they were created, the tracked chassis of the self-propelled air defense missile system "Krug" - "object 123" was used as a base. However, this chassis cannot be considered original, since it was a modification of the base chassis of the SU-100P self-propelled gun - "object 105". This machine, belonging to the first post-war generation of domestic self-propelled artillery installations, in turn served as the basis for the creation of several models of combat vehicles, with a story about which we will begin.

The development of the Hyacinth self-propelled gun began in December 1968 at the Special Design Bureau of the Perm Machine-Building Plant. It was assumed that it would replace the towed 130-mm M-46 and 152-mm M-47 hull guns in the troops. It was also taken into account that the 175-mm M107 cannon entered service with the US Army.

From the very beginning, the 152-mm cannon was designed in two versions: the towed Hyacinth-B (designation GRAU 2A36) and the self-propelled Hyacinth-S (2A37). Both variants had identical ballistics. Ammunition for them had to be specially developed: there were no shots interchangeable with the Hyacinth in the Soviet Army. In 1969, a preliminary design was developed, which considered three options for placing a gun, including an open (conning tower) and with the installation of a gun in a light closed rotating turret.

After considering the options for the ACS of the Ministry of Defense and the Defense Industry, they decided to develop an option with an open installation of the gun.

At the same time, the chassis was designed at Uraltransmash, and the ammunition was designed at the Scientific Research Machine-Building Institute (NIMI).

Officially, the dates for the creation of the Hyacinth-S cannon were set by a decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers in June 1970. In the spring of the next year, two experimental 152-mm guns "Hyacinth" (ballistic installations) were manufactured, but due to the lack of casings that were not provided by NIMI, they had to start firing only in September.

Tests showed that the projectiles, when using a full charge with a mass of 18.4 kg, had an initial speed of 945 m / s, and a range of 28.5 km. On an enhanced charge weighing 21.8 kg, the range was 31.5 km, and the initial speed was 975 m / s. Given the strong effect of the muzzle wave, the mass of the powder charge was reduced to 20.7 kg, while a smooth nozzle was introduced on the gun barrel.

After evaluating the test results and revisions, the 2A37 gun for the self-propelled version of "Hyacinth" was sent to "Uraltransmash" for installation on a new chassis "object 307". After final assembly, the car passed factory and government tests, the full cycle of which was completed by the end of 1974.

At the same time, on the basis of the 2S5, another version of the ACS was developed under the designation 2S11 "Hyacinth-SK". It was distinguished by the use of caps loading, designed to reduce the cost of producing charges by eliminating the use of brass casings. In the course of the work, the scientific and technical groundwork was used for the cap versions of the self-propelled howitzers 2С1 "Gvozdika" and 2СЗ "Akatsiya", however, the version with separate cartridge-case loading was finally accepted for production. On January 20, 1975, by a decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the 2C5 "Hyacinth-S" self-propelled gun was adopted by the Soviet Army.

The body of the Hyacinth-S self-propelled gun is mainly welded from rolled armor plates that protect against small arms bullets and fragments of artillery shells and mines. The exception was a frontal armor plate 30 mm thick, installed at a large angle of inclination and protecting against shells from small-caliber automatic cannons.

The control compartment is located in the bow of the hull.

In it, between the port side and the engine bulkhead, the driver is located. The right part of the bow of the hull is occupied by the engine-transmission compartment.

Engine - 12-cylinder, V-shaped, four-stroke liquid-cooled V-59 diesel engine with a power of 520 hp. Transmission - mechanical, two-line; the gearbox is made in one block with the planetary swing mechanism.

On the highway, the self-propelled gun develops a maximum speed of 60 km / h. It is capable of climbing up to 30 degrees, vertical walls up to 0.7 meters high and ditches up to three meters wide. The depth of the ford overcome without preparation is one meter. The power reserve is 500 km. The crew is five people.

On the upper plate of the aft part of the ACS, a 2A37 cannon is installed, consisting of a monoblock pipe, a breech and a muzzle brake. The slotted muzzle brake screwed onto the barrel absorbs 53 percent of the recoil energy. The shutter is semi-automatic, horizontal, wedge. Rollback brake hydraulic groove type, with pneumatic knurler. The longest recoil length is 950 mm, the shortest is 730 mm. The loading of the gun is carried out using a hydraulic lift and an electrically driven chain rammer in two steps: first the projectile, and then the sleeve. The rate of fire of the gun is 5–6 rds / min.

The stability of the cannon when firing and, as a result, the improvement in accuracy is provided by folding base plates: aft and additional bow (in the stowed position it is pressed against the lower frontal armor plate). Therefore, shooting on the move is impossible. The gun barrel in the stowed position is fixed horizontally with a hinged stopper. The tool has sector (lifting and turning) and pneumatic balancing mechanisms. The rotating part of the implement is a machine tool mounted on the center pin of the chassis. The pointing angle in the horizontal plane is 30 degrees, and in the vertical plane - from -2.5 to +58 degrees.

The aiming of the gun is carried out using a mechanical sight D726-45 with a gun panorama PG-1M and an optical sight OP4M-91A.

A 7.62-mm PKT machine gun is installed on the roof of the command room, intended for firing at ground and air targets. Ammunition consists of 1,500 rounds. In addition, a Strela-2M portable anti-aircraft missile system with two self-guided missiles is provided inside the ACS body.

The time for transferring the installation from the combat position to the traveling position and back does not exceed three minutes.

In a combat position, the crew members are outside the vehicle. Protected from bullets, small fragments and the action of a muzzle gas wave when firing, only the gunner, covered with a light shield stamped from sheet steel, fixed on the left cheek of the upper machine.

The ammunition load includes 60 rounds, of which 30 are inside the SPG hull, another 30 are transported separately.

For firing from the 2S5 "Hyacinth-S" cannon, the VOF39 high-explosive fragmentation rounds weighing 80.8 kg with the OF-29 high-explosive fragmentation projectile (46 kg) were initially used. The mass of the strong explosive A-IX-2 was 6.73 kg.

The charge was made of four types, differed in mass and depended on the target range. A newer development of the ZVOF86 extended-range round with the OF-59 projectile made it possible to fire at a distance of up to 30 km.

The 2A37 cannon has a higher muzzle energy compared to similar artillery systems. During the firing of the 2C5 self-propelled gun battery at the maximum range, up to 40 shells can be in flight. Perhaps because of such a high firepower, the Hyacinth self-propelled guns received the nickname “Genocide” in the army.

The performance characteristics of ACS 2S5

In 1976, the first batch of serial 2S5 entered service with the Soviet Army. In 1977, serial production began at the Ural Transport Engineering Plant, which lasted until 1993.

The 2S5 "Hyacinth" is designed to suppress and destroy nuclear attack weapons, defeat control bodies, rear objects, manpower and military equipment of the enemy in concentration areas and in strong points, as well as for the destruction of fortifications.

There are two known options for upgrading the 2C5. The first - 2S5M - is associated with the installation of a fire control system 1V514-1 "Mechanizer-M" and a more powerful artillery system to increase the firing range. To increase the security of the machine, a 902B smoke screen system was installed. The second version of the 2S5M1 differed in a 155-mm barrel and was intended for supplies abroad.

"Hyacinth" entered service with individual artillery brigades. During the Cold War years in the Soviet Union, the traditional priority in obtaining new weapons systems was used by the ground forces deployed in the countries of Eastern Europe and in the west of the country. As of the end of 1990, there were about 500 2C5s in the zone west of the Urals (where the control regime of the Treaty on Conventional Arms in Europe was in effect). They were armed (in whole or in part) eight artillery brigades and two artillery regiments.

It goes without saying that the lion's share of the Hyacinth-S self-propelled guns was in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (since 1989 - the Western Group of Forces), on the territory of the GDR. There were four brigades of such self-propelled guns here. In particular, the 303rd Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade, which was part of the 34th Artillery Division, subordinated directly to the command of the GSVG, was stationed in Altengrabov. The 1st Guards Tank Army included the 308th Army Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade (Zeithain), the 3rd Army - the 385th Guards Artillery Brigade (Planken), the 20th Army - the 387th Guards Artillery Brigade (Altes Lager). The typical composition of the Hyacinth-S brigade deployed in the GDR provided for the presence of five divisions: four artillery and one artillery reconnaissance divisions. Each of the artillery battalions included three six-gun batteries - 18 self-propelled guns. Thus, the "Hyacinth-S" brigade staffed with 72 self-propelled guns. The exceptions were the 308th and 387th brigades: in the first battery there were eight guns, and the total number of 2S5 reached 96 units, in the second, two divisions had 36 units, and two with 152-mm D-20 towed howitzers.

The units stationed on the territory of the Soviet Union had a slightly different organization: in their batteries, as a rule, there were not six, but four 2S5 (12 self-propelled guns in the division), and the share of mixed formations was also higher.

During the operation, the 2S5 was successfully used by the Soviet Army in hostilities in Afghanistan, where it underwent a combat test and proved to be excellent. ACS "Hyacinth" were limitedly used as part of battalion tactical groups in the first Chechen campaign, in particular, vehicles of the 294th cannon-self-propelled artillery brigade were used.

As of 2016, the Hyacinth-S self-propelled guns were in service with the Russian Army (950 units, of which 850 were in storage), as well as in the coastal troops of the Navy (48 units). In addition, ACS of this type were in service with the Republic of Belarus (116) Uzbekistan, Ukraine (18), Finland (18 in 2010), Eritria (13) and Ethiopia (10 units).

The development of the 152-mm self-propelled gun "Hyacinth" was started at the Design Bureau of the Perm Machine-Building Plant (PMZ) by order of the Ministry of Defense Industry # 592 dated 27.11.1968. - B "). Both versions had identical ballistics and ammunition, which were specially developed again. There were no shots interchangeable with the Hyacinth in the Soviet Army.

PMZ designed the artillery unit, the Sverdlovsk Transport Engineering Plant (SZTM) - the chassis, and NIMI - the ammunition.

In September 1969, the preliminary designs of the Hyacinth self-propelled guns were considered in open, conning and tower versions. Open version accepted.

On June 8, 1970, Resolution No. 427-151 was adopted, authorizing full-scale work on the Hyacinth ACS.

On April 13, 1972, the Hyacinth projects were presented in self-propelled and towed versions.

In March-April 1971, two experimental 152-mm "Hyacinth" cannons (ballistic installations) were manufactured, but due to the lack of casings not supplied by NIMI, firing from ballistic installations was carried out from September 1971 to March 1972. Ballistic installations had barrels with a length of 7.2 m and showed the following ballistic data with them: on a full charge, an initial speed of 945 m / s and a range of 28.3 km, on an enhanced charge - 975 m / s and 31.5 km, respectively. tests noted a very strong muzzle pressure. In this regard, it was decided to reduce the weight of the full charge from 21.8 kg to 20.7 kg and lengthen the barrel by 1000 mm by introducing a smooth nozzle.

ACS 2S5 "Hyacinth" with 152-mm. cannon 2A37

ACS 2S5 scheme

View of the breech of the 2A37 cannon and the coulter device. ACS 2C5 "Hyacinth"

The loading of the 2A37 "Hyacinth-S" and 2A36 "Hyacinth-B" cannons was separate-case, nevertheless, an alternative version of the 2A43 “Hyacinth-BK” cannon with a cap loading was also developed. However, in the final version, a separate-case loading was adopted.

Initially, the Hyacinth self-propelled gun was planned to be armed with a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun, but in August 1971 it was decided to remove the machine-gun installation.

The first two experimental 2A37 guns were delivered to SZTM at the end of 1972.

The Hyacinth self-propelled guns were launched into serial production in 1976.

ACS "Hyacinth" entered service with artillery brigades and divisions.

The barrel of the 2A37 cannon consists of a monoblock pipe, a breech and a muzzle brake. The multi-bore slotted muzzle brake is screwed onto the tube. The muzzle brake efficiency is 53%. Horizontal wedge gate with semiautomatic rolling pin type.

Single-sleeve loading.

Rollback brake hydraulic groove type, pneumatic knurler. The recoil device cylinders roll back together with the barrel.

The longest rollback length is 950 mm, the shortest is 730 mm.

Chain rammer with electric drive. The ramming is done in two steps - a projectile, and then - a sleeve.

Lifting and turning mechanisms of the sector-type cannon. The balancing mechanism is pneumatic, pushing type.

The rotating parts are a machine on a center pin that connects the machine to the chassis.

The cannon has a light shield, which serves to protect the gunner and parts of the mechanisms from bullets, small fragments and the action of a muzzle wave when firing. The shield is a stamped sheet structure and is fixed on the left cheek of the upper machine.

The gun sights consist of a D726-45 mechanical sight with a PG-1M gun panorama and an OP4M-91A optical sight.

The chassis (ob. 307) was created on the same basis as the 2C3 "Akatsia".

Ammunition is located inside the body. Loaders supply shells and charges from the vehicle manually.

When firing, the ACS is stabilized using a hinged base plate. The transition time from the traveling position to the combat position is no more than 4 minutes.

Subsequently, the ZVOF86 / ZVOF87 round with the OF-59 projectile with a range of 30 km was adopted.

Ballistic data of the gun "Hyacinth"

Shell OF-29; shell weight - 46 kg; explosive - 6.73 kg (A-IX-2); fuse - V-42E.

Charge	Charge weight, kg	Initial speed, m / s	Range, km
Full	18,4	945	28,5
Decreased	11,0	775	21,5
First	8,7	670	18,06
Second	6,4	560	14,8

After the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, during the announcement of his message to the Federal Assembly, opened the veil of secrecy in the development of new weapons in Russia, it may seem to someone that barrel artillery, and a number of other types of weapons, will be out of work. But real combat experience has shown that the means of the "gods of war" are still in demand.

The rocket is good when it is at hand

After the Great Patriotic War, the role of artillery declined. The palm was given to nuclear missile and missile weapons, for which Nikita Khrushchev stood up. For such miscalculations, history inevitably punishes, and in such things as war or military conflict, punishment is often measured in the lives of soldiers and officers. This happened, for example, in the artillery duel between China and Taiwan, which broke out in August 1958. The Kuomintang deployed a battery of long-range American howitzers on Kinmen Island and calmly began shelling mainland China.

From long-range artillery means, the Chinese had Soviet-made 130-mm M-46 cannons, which were three to four kilometers inferior in firing range to enemy artillery. Thanks to the ingenuity of Soviet military advisers, the solution to the problem of how to hit the enemy's battery was nevertheless found. But conclusions about the need to develop a new artillery system with increased firing range were made, as well as the fact that it was too early to write off the barreled artillery.

After the resignation of Nikita Khrushchev, work on the creation of new models of artillery weapons in the USSR was resumed. In 1965, an artillery development program was approved, aimed at developing systems that are not inferior in their parameters to modern and promising developments of NATO countries. It was then that the idea came to give new developments the names of colors.

In the period from 1968 to 1969, specialists of the USSR Ministry of Defense, together with designers of defense industry enterprises, carried out research work (R&D) "Success", within the framework of which the appearance of promising artillery systems and the directions of their development were determined until 1980.

The results obtained formed the basis for the development work (ROC), which was named "Hyacinth". ACS 2S5 "Hyacinth" was planned to equip artillery regiments and brigades of army corps, combined arms and tank armies to replace 130-mm M-46 cannons and 152-mm M-47 cannons.

The Ural plant of transport engineering - UZTM (now PJSC Uralmashzavod), the artillery system itself, the 152-millimeter cannon 2A37, was created in the SKB of the Perm machine-building plant named after V.I. Lenin (now PJSC “Motovilikhinskie factories").

Fiery "Hyacinth"

Tests, including state, prototypes of guns, ammunition and self-propelled guns "Hyacinth-S" were completed in 1974, after which preparations began for serial production. In parallel with the work on the Hyacinth-S self-propelled guns, on the basis of the 2S5 chassis, another version of the self-propelled guns was created under the designation 2S11 “Hyacinth-SK”. The artillery system differed from the "Hyacinth-S" by the cartouz method of loading, which provided for a reduction in the cost of producing charges by excluding expensive brass casings from their composition. Nevertheless, an option with separate-case loading was adopted for production.

The 2S5 "Hyacinth-S" self-propelled gun was adopted by the Soviet army on January 20, 1975. Since 1977, full-scale serial production of the SAU2S5 began, which lasted until 1993. In total, over the years of production, about 2000 units of ACS 2S5 "Hyacinth" were produced.

Unlike other self-propelled guns produced in the USSR, the 2S5 "Hyacinth" was not supplied to any country, including the countries of the Warsaw Pact. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, about 500 Hyacinth self-propelled guns remained in the armies of the countries of the former republics of the USSR. Eighteen "self-propelled guns" 2C5 were acquired by Finland, they received the designation Telak 91. There are approximately two batteries of "Hyacinths" in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

What is "Hyacinth" capable of

The transportable ammunition load of the 2S5 "Hyacinth-S" self-propelled gun is 30 rounds with high-explosive fragmentation and high-explosive fragmentation active-rocket projectiles. The maximum firing range of a cannon using the 3OF30 high-explosive high-explosive projectile is 33.1 kilometers.

The main task of the Hyacinth is to suppress and destroy nuclear attack weapons, artillery batteries and tactical missile systems, command posts, manpower and military equipment of the enemy in concentration areas and strong points, as well as the destruction of fortifications. Shooting is conducted from closed firing positions. or direct fire.

In addition, the self-propelled guns can use shots with high-precision high-explosive fragmentation shells "Krasnopol" and "Centimeter". These shots are designed to destroy armored vehicles, rocket launchers, long-term defensive structures, bridges, crossings and other important point targets. In addition to conventional ammunition, for the 2S5 Hyacinth-S self-propelled guns, shots were developed with the Romashka, Mint, Aspect and Symbolism shells with a nuclear warhead with a yield of 0.1 to two kilotons in TNT equivalent.

The gun has an open gun mount on an armored chassis. Its crew (combat crew) consists of five people, in the stowed position it is housed in an armored corps. The armored hull protects the systems of the vehicle and combat crew from bullets and shrapnel.

Combat use

The self-propelled gun 2S5 "Hyacinth" received its baptism of fire in Afghanistan. Moreover, the artillery system immediately won respect among the military and received many flattering characteristics. The high-explosive fragmentation shells of the ACS 2S5 ensured the guaranteed destruction of any enemy fortifications.

The high reliability of the chassis was also noted, which was one of the most important properties of military equipment in Afghanistan. Despite the harsh operating conditions, stony ground, temperature differences, dustiness, rarefied atmosphere, ACS 2S5 showed high efficiency. Limited self-propelled guns 2S5 "Hyacinth" were used as part of artillery groups in the first Chechen campaign.

Modernization

At the turn of the century, modernized versions of the 2S5 "Hyacinth" self-propelled guns were designed in Russia, which received the designations 2S5M and 2S5M1. The 2S5M modification differs from the base vehicle by the installation on it of an automated guidance and fire control system (ASUNO) 1V514-1 "Mechanizer-M", as well as an upgraded weapon that allows the use of new 152-mm rounds with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile 3OF60 with a bottom gas generator providing maximum firing range up to 37 kilometers. ACS 2S5M1 was created to increase export potential. It is equipped with a 155 mm caliber gun, which allows the use of foreign-made rounds.