152 mm howitzer 2A65
Encyclopedia
The 2A65 "Msta-B" is a Soviet
towed 152 mm howitzer
. The "B" in the designation is an abbreviation for Buksiruemyi, or towed. This weapon has been fielded in Russian forces since at least 1987 and is currently in service with Russian front and army level artillery units. The 2A65 howitzer, like many pieces of modern artillery, is capable of firing nuclear artillery
shells.
For conventional missions, the 2A65 fires a 43.6 kg high explosive OF45 projectile. The howitzer can also fire the OF61 HE projectile with a range of 29 kilometers, the 42.8 kg OF23 improved conventional munition
projectile with a range of 26.5 kilometers, the 9K25
cannon launched guided projectile with a range of 20 kilometers, as well as the D-540 smoke shell with a range of 17.4 kilometers. The OF23 is a cargo projectile that scatters 42 HEAT
bomblets capable of penetrating 100 mm of steel armor.
The howitzer is towed by either the KrAZ-260 6x6 truck or the Ural 4320 6x6 truck.
The 2A65 is deployed with the 9th Artillery Brigade in Luga, the 288th Artillery Brigade in Inzhenernyy, and the 291st Artillery Brigade in Maikop
, as well as being stored in Perm
and near Novgorod. It is also in service with other units in other Russian military districts. The total number of active 2A65 howitzers in Russian service is estimated at 370.
The 2A65 is also in service with the 11th Artillery Brigade in Ternopil and the 55th Artillery Brigade in Zaporizhya.
A self-propelled version, the 2S19 "Msta-S", is produced.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
towed 152 mm howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
. The "B" in the designation is an abbreviation for Buksiruemyi, or towed. This weapon has been fielded in Russian forces since at least 1987 and is currently in service with Russian front and army level artillery units. The 2A65 howitzer, like many pieces of modern artillery, is capable of firing nuclear artillery
Nuclear artillery
Nuclear artillery is a subset of limited-yield tactical nuclear weapons, in particular those weapons that are launched from the ground at battlefield targets...
shells.
For conventional missions, the 2A65 fires a 43.6 kg high explosive OF45 projectile. The howitzer can also fire the OF61 HE projectile with a range of 29 kilometers, the 42.8 kg OF23 improved conventional munition
Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition
A Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions is an artillery or surface-to-surface missile warhead designed to burst into sub-munitions at an optimum altitude and distance from the desired target for dense area coverage. The sub-munitions are designed for both antiarmor and antipersonnel attack...
projectile with a range of 26.5 kilometers, the 9K25
Krasnopol (Weapon)
The Krasnopol is a 152/155 mm cannon-launched, fin-stabilized, semi-automatic laser-guided, explosive projectile intended to engage hard point targets such as tanks, self-propelled howitzers, or other high-value targets....
cannon launched guided projectile with a range of 20 kilometers, as well as the D-540 smoke shell with a range of 17.4 kilometers. The OF23 is a cargo projectile that scatters 42 HEAT
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
bomblets capable of penetrating 100 mm of steel armor.
The howitzer is towed by either the KrAZ-260 6x6 truck or the Ural 4320 6x6 truck.
The 2A65 is deployed with the 9th Artillery Brigade in Luga, the 288th Artillery Brigade in Inzhenernyy, and the 291st Artillery Brigade in Maikop
Maikop
Maykop or Maikop may refer to:*Maykop, capital of the Republic of Adygea, Russia*Maykop culture, prehistoric culture of the northern Caucasus, ca. 3500 BCE–2500 BCE...
, as well as being stored in Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
and near Novgorod. It is also in service with other units in other Russian military districts. The total number of active 2A65 howitzers in Russian service is estimated at 370.
The 2A65 is also in service with the 11th Artillery Brigade in Ternopil and the 55th Artillery Brigade in Zaporizhya.
A self-propelled version, the 2S19 "Msta-S", is produced.
Variants
- M-390 - This is a 155mm export version of the 2A65, developed by Factory No 9 in YekaterinburgYekaterinburgYekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
.
- MZ-146-1 - This is also a 155mm export version that was shown in public for the first time in 2008. Contrary to the original, this type is fitted with a fume extractor.