In Ukraine, the artillery part of the 2S9 "NONA-S" self-propelled gun began to be installed on the BMP-2 chassis, reports mil.in.ua .
The work was carried out at the Shepetovsky repair plant. The upgraded machine received the designation 2C17-2.
It is known that such developments were carried out during the Soviet Union, and the presented sample largely repeats what was created earlier.
It is noted that it is still unclear whether this modernization was an initiative project or part of a state program to replace tracked platforms of 2C9 artillery installations with a more common chassis of infantry fighting vehicles.
Currently, the only military unit operating such self-propelled guns is the 25th separate Airborne Brigade, which suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment during the fighting in the Donbass in 2014.
Currently, instead of BMD-1 and BMD-2, it began to receive BMP-2, therefore, according to the authors of the publication, it was decided to carry out such unification.
Some Russian experts disagree with them, who believe that the 2S17-2 appeared due to the fact that there are no spare parts and components in Ukraine to reanimate the completely exhausted NONA-S chassis, as well as the combat landing vehicles of the first and second generation inherited from the Soviet Airborne Forces.
Alexey Brusilov
