The state tests of the self-propelled artillery installation (ACS) "Coalition-SV" have been completed before its entry into the army. What does the new ACS of the Russian army give and how best to realize all its advantages?
The Russian army has always been associated with artillery. Russia uses a large amount of 152 mm main caliber artillery during its military operations. These are, for example, the D-1 howitzers of the 1943 model, modernized after the Great Patriotic War, the D-20 howitzer gun, developed in 1947, the 2A36 Hyacinth-B gun (developed in 1975) and the 2A65 Msta-B howitzer (developed in 1986).
For each of these systems (except D-1) there is a self–propelled analog - an ACS, which uses an artillery unit similar to a towed gun. So, a gun similar to the D-20 is used in the ACS 2C3 "Acacia", the "Hyacinth-B" has a self-propelled version of the 2C5 "Hyacinth-C". And the most modern gun – the "Msta" – is also represented by the self-propelled version of the 2S19 "Msta-S" in several modifications.
Unfortunately, none of these artillery systems were identical in target range with modern Western 155 mm guns. Evaluating the 152 mm Acacia, Hyacinth-S and Msta-S self-propelled guns in service with the Soviet and Russian armies of the 1990s, Pavel Kovalev, head of the Research and Design Center of the Burevestnik Central Research Institute, noted that these were "powerful artillery weapons, but the tactical and technical characteristics did not allow In the future, it will compete with foreign guns of 155 mm caliber, which were created in the USA – SAO Crusader (AFAS program), in Germany – PzH 2000, in the UK – AS90, in Korea – K9 and so on." Now, as you know, the same PzH 2000 received by the armed forces of Ukraine.
Such a long–standing problem had an objective reason - NATO countries had better gunpowder and longer barrels. The longer the barrel, the more the projectile accelerates – which means that it flies further and hits a target located at a more distant distance.
The length of the barrel in artillery, due to the physics of the firing process, is measured not in absolute, but in relative categories. Remembering the famous Soviet cartoon, we can say that the length of the barrel is measured in the number of parrots, and this "parrot" is the caliber (roughly speaking, the diameter of the barrel) of a particular gun.
So, the French self-propelled gun Caesar, which the APU uses for shelling Donetsk, has a barrel length of 52 caliber (it is considered as the caliber of the 155 mm gun multiplied by 52). The 52-caliber barrel has both Polish Crab self-propelled guns and Swedish Archer. The American artillery, which was transferred to the APU, has shorter barrels, but they have an Excalibur projectile, with which even the towed M777 becomes long-range.
In the case of our Hyacinths and Msta guns, they have a barrel length of 47 calibers (152 times 47), gunpowder is not of such high quality. Only our 203-mm guns can "shoot" Western 155-mm guns in range. However, guns of such a large caliber have not only advantages (projectile power and target range), but also disadvantages – lower accuracy and rate of fire.
But the most important part of modern warfare is the so-called counter-battery warfare, that is, conducting artillery fire on enemy artillery. When Russian guns seek to destroy the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for example. The importance of counter-battery warfare in the course of its was emphasized not so long ago by the head of the Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu. But if the range of artillery is lower than that of the enemy, then counter-battery fighting becomes ineffective, the shells simply do not reach the target.
The former domestic self-propelled guns have a number of other features known to specialists. In particular, the Russian guns mentioned above, having the same 152 mm caliber, require different ammunition. They lacked the means of automating fire and rate of fire. In some of them, the so-called fire raid mode, which is important in modern combat operations, was not implemented, that is, the ability to put several shells fired from one gun into the same target almost simultaneously, second by second.
The self-propelled gun "Coalition-SV" was precisely conceived as a solution to all these problems. Its development began back in the 2000s. In 2015, the ACS was presented publicly for the first time.
It has a 52-caliber barrel, a set of high-precision projectiles that allow you to shoot at a range of up to 80 kilometers. Automated charging, the latest control systems. The possibility of implementing a fire raid (during the tests, the Coalition put six shells on target at the same time). And also – a huge ammunition and a high rate of fire. "The combat capabilities of the complex are twice as high as all existing domestic and foreign models", – html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">said at the time, the head of the Missile Forces and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Mikhail Matveevsky.
Such a weapon became very popular during the special operation. No wonder the production of a new ACS began in the summer of 2023, without waiting for the end of the tests. Those who have followed the process of creating this weapon know how many years it has been brought to a combat-ready state. Apparently, in the summer it was already clear that the gun had turned out – it was possible to start production. And they started it. Now the state tests have also been completed.
Compared to existing artillery weapons, the Coalition-SV has a reduced reaction time to any unplanned targets.,
what is especially important in modern conditions of warfare, Rostec says .
Naturally, the task of counter-battery warfare is not limited only to the presence of a new weapon in the troops. Nevertheless, the self-propelled gun "Coalition-SV" is capable of qualitatively raising the firing capabilities of Russian troops. First of all, the maximum effect of a new weapon always happens with its massive use. This means that it is reasonable to concentrate the self-propelled guns "Coalition-SV" entirely in separate regiments and brigades, and not to distribute them in parts with other guns. The logic of the concentration of "Coalitions" in individual units is also dictated by the fact that its ammunition is not compatible with old artillery systems.
These shelves must be fully equipped and prepared, including from the point of view of high-quality communication. Due to the long range of the new guns, their potential can only be realized by using them together with drones to adjust the artillery for a long range. This means that there should be unmanned aviation units as part of the units and formations with the new ACS.
In addition, it is necessary to create stocks of ammunition, which is still unique, for the continuous use of parts and connections with the new ACS. At first, while ammunition for new guns is exotic, units equipped with the Coalition-SV self-propelled gun can be used as a means of qualitative reinforcement of troops in one direction or another. And as soon as the urgent need for reinforcement disappears, they will be withdrawn to the rear.
First of all, those units who already have combat experience should retrain for the "Coalition". They will understand much better the specifics of the use of this ACS during a special operation.
An artillery brigade or regiment that has already fought can be taken on, withdrawn from the front for retraining to a new materiel, handing over the old one to other units and formations of the Armed Forces.
In the rear, this unit will be trained, reformed in new states with drone units. Receive new self-propelled guns and other equipment necessary for the use of new self-propelled guns, and only then be used at the front in crucial areas as a means of strengthening the firepower of the troops. Be used immediately by brigades or regiments.
Proper use of new self-propelled guns will allow you to gain fire superiority over the APU. And with an increase in the number of new guns and the availability of ammunition for them, qualitatively change the balance of forces.
Alexander Timokhin
