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2A65 Msta-B

1987 COLD WAR MODERN

2A65 Msta-B History

In 1987 - the last years of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the West - the 152mm 2A65 "MSTA-B" towed howitzer system was introduced. The gun was brought in as a traditional artillery product, with a two-wheeled split carriage, minimal gun guard and multi-baffle muzzle brake.

Design work by the Central Design Bureau (Titan) lasted from 1976 to 1986, after which production continued at the Motovilikha factory.

By design, the weapon has a combat weight of 15,000 pounds and is operated by a crew of up to 10 people. It traditionally fires high-explosive (HE) shells up to 18 miles at a muzzle velocity of 2,720 feet per second, but also supports a variety of other projectile types - anti-infantry, chemical, nuclear, and more. Standard pistol mounting hardware allows an elevation range of -3. 5 degrees to +70 degrees and across 28 degrees from the centerline.

During the burst phase, the rate of fire was specified at eight rounds per minute.

2A65 series operators include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. Russia is by far the largest arms operator, with about 750 in stock. "M-390" is the designation used to identify the export version of the 2A65. The cooker hood is distinguished from another export-oriented version - "MZ-146-1". The 2A65 is referred to by NATO as "M1987" ("Type 1987").

The 2A65 is also the primary weapon on the 2A19 Self-Propelled Gun (SPG) gun (described in detail elsewhere on this site).

Since both Russians and Ukrainians invested in the 2A65 system, it was presented to both sides fighting in the Donbass region ("Donbass War", 2014-present).