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2S35 Koalitsiya-SV

2018 MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY

2S35 Koalitsiya-SV History

The 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery system was developed for the Russian Army as a successor to the late Cold War MSTA series of 2S19 vehicles (detailed elsewhere on this website). Unveiled during the 2015 Moscow Victory Day military parade, the 2S35 is fast approaching full deployment in the roster of Russian ground forces.

Expect to enter service sometime in 2018 or later.

The 2S35 was born as an offshoot of the existing 2S19 design, and the prototype was developed along this line, using the same transmission, powertrain and chassis as the original (albeit with a slightly different turret). One form relied on the twin-tube 152mm arrangement, but this approach was not further developed/adopted.

The revised design, essentially an entirely new product, was launched online in late 2014 and underwent government testing, leading to mass production orders for the vehicle.

Externally, this armored car relies on a conventional layout. The turret assembly is mounted above the center of the rear of the hull and houses the powerful 152 mm (152.4 mm) 2A88 series main gun.

The barrel is slotted at the muzzle (to reduce recoil) and features a smoke exhaust along its length and an integrated recoil mechanism (the latter is useful in situations where you need to "shoot on the go"). The turret is fully enclosed and has a machine gun turret (remotely controlled) on the roof to defend against low-flying aircraft and infantry. Hatches on the roofline (and along the sides of the turret) allow occupant access.

The hull has two hatches in the forward crew position, while the front wings are well raked and almost level for basic ballistic protection. The A-type locking assembly is located above the forward tilt plate and is used to secure the long barrel during movement. The landing gear consists of six rubber tire wheels on one side of the hull (similar to the T-90 main battle tank), the drive sprockets are at the rear, and the track idlers are at the front. The upper parts of the sprockets and wheels are minimally protected by thin armor plates (side skirts) with a serrated design.

The sides and roof edges of the turret feature smoke grenade launchers to allow the vehicle to protect itself to some extent. Power is provided by a 1,000-horsepower liquid-cooled diesel engine. The auxiliary system provides power when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is off.

Sources say that the occupant is likely to consist of only three people (SPGs usually fit four or five occupants, that's how complex they are) due to the high level of automation said to be built into the vehicle's functions.

The main gun system provides an attack range of up to 70 km in the target area. The system also supports the latest Russian precision-guided projectiles (to improve range accuracy) as well as traditional projectile types in service (such as smoke, chemical and nuclear). Using an autoloader, the gun is estimated to be capable of firing around 15 to 20 rounds per minute.

Digital kits help operators select the correct charge level, ammo type and trigger firing action.

The 2S35 is one of several Russian military vehicles to be introduced in the coming years, after Russian leaders called for modernizing the service with more advanced equipment from the post-Soviet era. The T-14 main battle tank led the way, followed by several armored vehicle types - wheeled and tracked - and the 2S35 SPG series.