SAU "Peony". Self-propelled artillery mount 2S7 "Peony": specifications and photos

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

203-mm self-propelled gun 2S7 (object 216) belongs to the artillery weapons of the reserve of the Supreme High Command. In the army, she received the code name - self-propelled guns "Peony". The photos in this article clearly demonstrate the full power of this weapon. It is intended to suppress nuclear weapons and other especially important objects located in tactical depth (at a distance of up to 47 km).

History of Creation

The creation of the self-propelled guns "Pion" began with the decision of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union in 1967. The task indicated that the new weapon was to destroy earthen, concrete and reinforced concrete fortifications, as well as to destroy enemy long-range artillery mounts. In addition, the Pion 2S7 self-propelled guns were designed as a “hunter” for tactical missile systems and other means of delivering nuclear charges. According to the assignment, the minimum range of destruction was to be 25 km.

And now, two years later, out of several proposed projects, the Council of Ministers chose the work of the designers of the Leningrad Kirov Plant. The Pion installation was created on the basis of the T-64 tank chassis with an open wheelhouse design. However, in the same yearSignificant changes are being made to create a new weapon. The reason was the presentation of the designers of the Volgograd plant "Barrikada", who presented their project of an open-air self-propelled artillery mount based on object 429. As a result, the Ministry of Defense decides to combine these developments, and the 203-mm self-propelled guns "Pion" are transferred to a new chassis. This artillery installation had a firing range of up to 32 km with conventional ammunition and up to 42 km with active-reactive charges. Work on the creation of a long-range gun was in full swing when, in March 1971, the GRAU approved revised requirements for the performance characteristics of the system being designed. Engineers were asked to work out the possibility of using a special shot from the ZVB2 B-4 howitzer with the same caliber. At the same time, the maximum firing range of conventional 110-kilogram shells was set at 35 km, and the minimum guaranteed ricochet-free one was 8.5 km. The greatest distance of firing with special active-reactive ammunition was to be 40-43 km. All these changes fell on the shoulders of the main developer of the Pion 2S7 self-propelled guns - Design Bureau No. 3 of the Kirov Plant, headed by N. S. Popov.

Creating a tool

At the same time, the engineers of the Barrikady plant, under the leadership of the chief designer G. I. Sergeev, were developing the artillery unit of the Pion self-propelled guns. Volgograd designed the warhead according to the classical scheme, but with a number of features. For example, a collapsible barrel became an interesting solution (monoblock is considered a classicdesign). It consisted of a breech, a pivot pipe, a coupling, a bushing and a casing. The author of this design is the engineer of the Obukhov plant A. A. Kolokoltsev, who developed it in the seventies of the century before last. The choice of just such a solution is explained by the fact that high-powered artillery military equipment (which is the Pion) is subject to very rapid wear of the rifled part of the barrel during firing. As a result, monoblocks that have become unusable should be sent to the factory for replacement, which requires a significant investment of time. All this leads to the failure of this installation for a long time. Collapsible barrels are also subject to rapid wear, however, the replacement process is quite feasible in an artillery workshop located in the frontline zone, it does not require specific equipment and is relatively simple.

God of War with a nuclear hotel

This is the nickname the new artillery mount received when it was presented by the designers of the Leningrad plant in 1975. The Ministry of Defense immediately appreciated the new self-propelled guns. And after a series of factory and field tests, the expert commission gave the go-ahead for its adoption into service and launch into mass production. In the same year, the first copies enter the troops. Artillery brigades of special power were equipped with new weapons, and they were intended to suppress and eliminate artillery, nuclear weapons, mortars, heavy equipment, logistics, enemy manpower, and command posts. Eight years later, in 1983year, the Pion installation underwent the first modernization. The updated model received the code name - "Malka". The GRAU index remained the same, only with the addition: "M" -2S7M. It is safe to say that Soviet engineers were ahead of their time with their development, because almost 40 years have passed since the release of the first Pion, but this does not prevent it from remaining to this day the most powerful and sought-after artillery installation in the world. According to official figures, more than 300 units of this weapon have been produced since 1975. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many complexes ended up abroad, but continue to serve regularly in the armies of the countries of the former USSR. According to the Ministry of Defense, as of 2010, the Russian army had 130 Pion self-propelled guns. To understand what makes this artillery system unique and why, despite the emergence of the latest types of long-range weapons, the modern armament of the Russian army includes these combat vehicles of a bygone era, let's look at the technical characteristics of the installation.

Description of the design of the Pion artillery complex

As mentioned above, the Pion self-propelled guns are made with an open cutting part, that is, according to a turretless scheme. The installation tool is placed openly in the aft part of the caterpillar chassis. In front of the body there is a control compartment, then there is an engine-transmission compartment, followed by a calculation compartment and closes the conning tower. The armored hull has a very unusual shape - the cockpit carried far forward serves as an additional counterweight to the heavygun. The maintenance of the Pion artillery mount is carried out by a team of fourteen people, seven of them are the crew of the self-propelled guns. In the stowed position, the crew is located in the calculation and control compartments, and the remaining seven people are in a special truck or armored personnel carrier.

A most powerful gun of 203 mm caliber (2A44), weighing 14.6 tons, is mounted in the aft part of the hull. In addition to the fact that the gun was created collapsible, it has an additional number of innovations. For example, the constructive refusal to use a muzzle brake provided a muzzle wave of low pressure in the working area of the calculation. This decision made it possible to abandon additional special protection for the servicing crew. The 203 mm gun is equipped with a piston breech block operating on a push-pull scheme. It opens and closes automatically thanks to a mechanical drive, while it is possible to perform this operation in manual mode. In the Pion self-propelled guns, shells are fed with subsequent reloading using a special chain loading mechanism that works at any angles of horizontal and vertical guidance. Such a design solution made it possible to significantly reduce the reload time, thereby increasing the rate of fire of the complex.

Power unit and chassis of self-propelled guns

The most powerful self-propelled artillery mount in the world is equipped with a V-46-1 twelve-cylinder V-shaped diesel power unit equipped with a turbocharging system. Engine power is 750 hp. With. The use of this powerthe unit allowed the 46-ton self-propelled gun to accelerate to a speed of 50 km / h. In addition, to ensure the autonomous operation of the complex, an additional diesel generator with a capacity of 24 liters was installed in the engine compartment. With. In order to increase unification, a mechanical transmission with a bevel gear and onboard gearboxes was borrowed from the T-72. So, the self-propelled unit has a mechanical planetary power transmission with eight speeds and single-stage onboard with reduction gears.

In the running gear on both sides of the body, there are seven road wheels with a torsion-type suspension equipped with individual blocking hydraulic shock absorbers. Many chassis components are borrowed from the T-80. In fact, the undercarriage of the Pion self-propelled guns is a modernized version of the chassis of the T-80 tank, even the drive wheels are front-mounted.

Firing

The loading operations of the gun are carried out from a special console, the supply of shells is carried out using a standard single-axle hand truck. When pointing the gun, mechanical and electro-hydraulic drives are used. The rate of fire of the Pion artillery system is one and a half shots per minute. The installation provides the following firing modes: 8 shots in 5 minutes; 15 shots in 10 minutes; 24 shots in 20 minutes; 30 shots in 30 minutes and 40 shots in an hour. On the trunk in its upper and lower parts are hydropneumatic recoil mechanisms. The recoil length of the gun is approximately 1400 mm. Given the enormous powerinstallation, engineers have provided special guides, which are located in the rear of the body. They are installed immediately before firing on the ground, they play the role of auxiliary supports. In addition, to repay a very tangible recoil force, a bulldozer-type coulter is installed in the aft part of the body. It is hydraulically controlled. During firing, the coulter deepens into the soil to a depth of up to 700 mm, thereby providing excellent stability to the self-propelled unit. In addition, to absorb the rollback force, the designers provided a system for blocking the hydraulic shock absorber suspension units of the main track rollers, as well as lowering guide wheels.

Thanks to the use of very effective recoil mechanisms, firing from the gun can be carried out in a wide range of aiming angles. So, the angle of horizontal convergence is 30 degrees, and in the vertical plane - in the range from 0 to 60 degrees.

In the event that firing occurs from the ground, the calculation can use a two-wheeled cart, on which the charges and shells are placed on a special removable stretcher. The ammunition load of the Pion artillery mount is 40 shells of separate loading. Four of them are stored in the aft compartment and provide emergency supplies, while the rest are transported by special vehicles and laid out on the ground when preparing the self-propelled guns for firing.

Armaments

The range of Pion ammunition is very diverse: 203-mm shells ZVOF42 and ZVOF43, fragmentation 30F43, activereactive high-explosive fragmentation ZOF44, ZVOF15 and ZVOF16 with fragmentation charges with striking elements 3-0-14. The Pion military equipment is equipped with a D-726 type mechanical sight, a K-1 collimator, and a PG-1M panorama. In addition, an additional sighting device of the OP-4M type is provided, which is used when firing direct fire. To protect the self-propelled guns and people, the installation is also equipped with the personal weapons of the crew: this includes small arms (four machine guns and a flare pistol), and RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, Strela-2 MANPADS, as well as F-1 grenades.

Nuclear weapons and protection

Pion artillery self-propelled gun is capable of taking part in armed conflicts using nuclear weapons. To do this, the self-propelled guns have a filtering unit, an automatic fire-fighting system, a sealing system for habitable compartments that can protect the crew and crew from the effects of nuclear, bacteriological and chemical weapons. In addition, it is equipped with equipment for internal telephone communication, a radio station and a night vision device. To deliver an atomic strike to the enemy, the Pion self-propelled guns can use a special munition with a nuclear charge. The use of such shells is possible only if there is an appropriate order from the higher command. In this case, ammunition is delivered to the firing position from special storage facilities as part of a guarded convoy. A nuclear projectile is designed to destroy especially large infrastructure facilities, industrial facilities, clustersenemy troops, etc. The minimum firing range of such ammunition is 18 km, and the maximum is 30 km.

Self-propelled artillery mount 2S7M "Malka"

In 1983, Design Bureau No. 3 of the Kirov Plant upgraded the Pion installation. As a result, the updated model began to differ from its predecessor with rubberized chassis elements, in addition, the chassis began to be made from more high-strength materials. A new firing equipment has appeared in the complex control system, capable of receiving information in automatic mode. In addition, engineers have improved the remote loading mechanism and changed the design of the charging stacks. New charges and ammunition of increased power were introduced, and the emergency supply of shells was increased to eight units. The updated ammunition included active rockets. In addition, a system of regulated control of continuous operation was installed on the self-propelled guns "Malka" with an automatic system for diagnosing the state of all key subsystems of the artillery mount.

Improvement of the chassis made it possible to increase the resource of the motocross up to ten thousand kilometers. Thanks to the modernization of the remote loading device of the installation, this procedure became possible at any angle of vertical aiming. In addition, the rate of fire of the complex has significantly increased (by 1.6 times) - up to 2.5 rounds per minute, and the time of continuous firing was three hours. The fire control option with automatic data reception made it possible to receivetarget coordinates through wired and radio channel communications with their subsequent display on the digital indicators of the gunner's and commander's instruments, while the guidance system independently takes into account changes in weather conditions. The updated ammunition load includes active-rocket projectiles with a firing range of 55 km, as well as high-precision and anti-tank munitions with ramjet engines.

Today, the Pion and Malka self-propelled guns have a huge potential for further modernization, they are able to keep up with the times and use modern weapons in their arsenal, including tactical and precision weapons.

St. Petersburg: Artillery Museum

This institution was founded in 1703 by decree of Peter the Great as a Zeikhgauz - a place of storage of curious and memorable artillery pieces. The most valuable and interesting specimens were brought here from all over the country. Later, other types of weapons, banners, uniforms, including captured ones, were added to the exposition. Later, during the time of Elizabeth Petrovna, this museum of artillery was renamed the Memorial Hall, and it was placed at the Foundry Yard. And only since 1869 this institution began to actively live and develop. This year, the Museum of Artillery receives at its disposal a part of the Kronverk building, military historical collections are located here. During the Soviet Union, in 1963, the institution received the funds of the Central Historical Military Engineering Museum, and two years later it included the Military Museum of Communications.

Visitors are invited to get acquainted with the rarest collections of world weapons from 55 countries of the world, from the fourteenth century to the present day. Here you can see among the exhibits personal weapons of members of the imperial family, outstanding commanders, unique documents, military awards, military uniforms, models of fortifications and fortresses, and much more. A separate exposition presents Russian artillery, including experimental models of guns by Shuvalov, Nartov and others.

The Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps has one of the largest collections of weapons from Western European countries of the XV-XVII centuries in our country. In 2006, the institution opened a new exposition dedicated to the history of military affairs of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and early modern times. Both adults and children are happy to visit the Museum of Artillery. Here, in the courtyard of Kronverk, modern types of weapons of the Russian army are presented, such as the Topol RS-12M intercontinental strategic missile system and many others. Guests can not only look, but also touch them with their hands, take pictures next to such giants, which serve as a guarantor of our country's security from external intrusion. After all, most schoolchildren have a superficial acquaintance with such types of weapons as self-propelled guns, tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery pieces, which they receive from computer games and television films. Seeing them with their own eyes, feeling the power of their armor and guns, they will foreverimbued with respect not only for the profession of the military, but also for the designers who created these wonderful machines. It will be interesting for children and adults to visit the festivals of military-historical reenactment, and demonstration performances by members of the Silhouette Historical Fencing Club, which are regularly held on the territory of the museum. So an unforgettable experience for museum visitors is guaranteed!