Mobility and cross-country ability: combine the advantages of wheeled and tracked self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS)
Image of the Central Research Institute "Burevestnik"
The Russian Special Military Operation (SVO) in Ukraine has clearly shown the critical importance of artillery to achieve victory in hostilities, especially given the fact that, for a number of reasons, aerospace forces (VKS) of the Russian Federation (RF) cannot seize complete air supremacy over the territory of Ukraine. Despite the fact that in the middle of the last century, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU N. S. Khrushchev, fascinated by rockets, almost destroyed Soviet artillery, she still survived. Much of what was created during the years of the existence of the USSR is now participating in the battles on the fields of Ukraine, and on both sides. Who would have known then that everything would turn out like this ...
Let's get back to reality. And in this reality, the Armed Forces (AF) of the Russian Federation require a lot of artillery. Mobile artillery is desirable, because, as practice shows, in the conditions of the use of modern means of counter-battery combat and kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), towed artillery systems do not last long.
The remains of the American towed howitzer M777
There are three main options for ground artillery systems - towed artillery systems, self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) on a tracked chassis and ACS on a wheeled chassis.
In Russia, towed artillery systems were the most common, followed by self-propelled guns on a tracked chassis, the number of which in the troops is gradually growing, there are no self-propelled guns on a wheeled chassis in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces) yet.
The problem of using towed artillery systems has already been discussed in the material Towed artillery: a new life in the format of wheeled self-propelled guns. In short, on the basis of towed artillery systems, "ersatz" self-propelled guns can potentially be created by installing towed artillery systems on wheeled chassis. They will not have all the capabilities of "real" self-propelled guns, but they will be able to quickly advance to a given area, relatively quickly fire two or three shots with unguided projectiles or one (preferably) guided projectile. Of course, they will not replace “real” self-propelled guns, but they may well occupy their niche - can’t they turn them into targets for the enemy and send them to be smelted?
SAU 2S22 "Bogdan" - this artillery system is just like the "ersatz" self-propelled guns, made on the basis of a towed artillery gun
Potentially towed artillery systems can also be installed on a tracked chassis, but is there any point in this?
However, we will not talk about towed artillery, but about what kind of self-propelled guns we need - tracked or wheeled?
Tracks or wheels
The debate about which self-propelled artillery mounts, wheeled or tracked, the armed forces need has been going on for a long time.
Adepts of the caterpillar chassis say that wheeled vehicles have much worse cross-country ability, that they can only function in areas with a developed road network, and this is true. Proponents of wheeled chassis talk about lower operating costs and higher mobility.
What can be added here?
Actually, both sides are right. Tracked vehicles really have more cross-country ability, and wheeled vehicles have more mobility. Based on this, the conclusion suggests itself - the troops must have both types of self-propelled guns, both on wheeled and on tracked chassis.
There is one more nuance - on the Internet it is easy to find a huge number of destroyed Ukrainian towed artillery systems and self-propelled artillery installations on a caterpillar chassis. And how many videos confirming the destruction of HIMARS wheeled multiple launch rocket systems? Yes, HIMARS shoots farther than most cannon artillery systems, but considering that they sometimes hit deep into Russian territory, they still approach the front line at the range of our artillery shot or the operation of the Lancet-3 kamikaze UAV. Suitable, but not destroyed, that is, the point is still in mobility.
Additionally, how many videos on the Internet with confirmed cases of the destruction of the French CAESAR wheeled self-propelled guns supplied to the armed forces of Ukraine (AFU)? Let's just say, a little, rather, these are isolated cases.
It seems that the RF Armed Forces are also leaning towards this option, since recently there has been more and more information about the development of the latest Russian artillery systems, including those on a wheeled chassis.
Projects of Russian self-propelled guns on a wheeled chassis
We are not talking about a replacement, but rather an addition, the only question is when and in what quantities Russian wheeled self-propelled guns will get into the troops.
Perhaps there are alternative solutions?
Mobility and patency
Tracked vehicles are not designed to move under their own power over long distances - the resource of its undercarriage and engine life are quite limited, not to mention the fact that after the passage of columns of tracked vehicles, only memories will remain from the roads. And the average speed of movement of tracked vehicles is low. Therefore, tracked vehicles are usually delivered to the battlefield by other vehicles, of course, as far as possible.
If it is necessary to transfer a certain amount of armored vehicles quickly and far, then a transport vehicle is used. aviation. If far and many, but slower, then the ships and trains.
In the area between the airfield, port or railway platform, the movement of tracked vehicles is provided by special trucks - trawls, tank carriers.
self-propelled guns on the trawl
In the United States, tank carriers are used much more actively than in Russia - yes, rail transport is cheaper than road transport, but tank carriers provide much more flexibility and secrecy of movement. Savings on trawls for tracked military equipment are comparable to the acquisition of an ultra-modern fifth-generation fighter in order to later use it to use unguided bombs.
The question arises - if the caterpillar self-propelled guns are on a wheeled trawl, then why not fire directly from it?
If we talk about a conventional trawl, then it is clear that the recoil from a shot, if it does not damage the trawl, will make the shooting accuracy unacceptable. But after all, the trawl can be finalized, and this will require minimal effort.
In fact, the main improvements will be reduced to strengthening the platform by integrating a frame into its design and installing supporting jacks that ensure the trawl is “hanging out” when firing - there can be 4-8 units depending on the caliber of the self-propelled guns that will work from this trawl (on some trawls, such devices are installed initially, the only question is whether they can withstand the return and whether they can level the “horizon”).
The trawl designed to ensure the firing of caterpillar self-propelled guns "from the wheels" must be finalized - the platform has been strengthened (shown in red), jacks are installed (shown in blue)
How can combat work be carried out by a tracked self-propelled gun from a wheeled trawl?
Approximately the same way as, apparently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine use multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) HIMARS.
A caterpillar self-propelled gun, fixed on a trawl, is advanced from a disguised base point to a firing position. The crew can be located directly in the ACS or in the passenger compartment of the trawl cabin (if there is one or will be mounted additionally).
Upon arrival at the position, the trawl immediately turns in the direction of reverse movement and hangs out the trailer with the caterpillar self-propelled guns on jacks. The crew takes jobs, enters installations and opens fire on the target. Depending on the distance to the enemy and the possible risks of counter-battery fire, a given number of shots are fired. Immediately after the last shot, the trawl removes the jacks (of course, the process must be automated) and leaves, together with the self-propelled guns, to the basing site as quickly as possible.
It can be assumed that under such a scenario of using tracked self-propelled guns, losses from counter-battery fire and from enemy kamikaze UAVs will be minimal. At the same time, the smaller the firing range, the more relevant for the self-propelled guns will be such an operating scenario.
Of course, if necessary, the caterpillar self-propelled guns can be unloaded from the trawl, move around and conduct combat work independently. In this case, the trawl can go to the base and wait there or be used to deliver fuel and ammunition to the front line in special containers installed in place of the self-propelled guns. The option of installing an armored compartment on the trawl for additional ACS ammunition may be considered, if its dimensions and carrying capacity allow it.
What tracked self-propelled guns can be placed on trawls with the possibility of firing?
Almost any, as we have already said above, the shorter the firing range, the higher the need for mobility of self-propelled guns. On the other hand, self-propelled guns with a longer firing range when operated from a wheeled trawl will provide fire impact on the enemy over a much larger area.
It can be assumed that it will be possible to ensure the operation of tracked self-propelled guns of 122 mm and 152 mm caliber from the trawl without any problems, since self-propelled guns of this caliber on a wheeled chassis exist and are actively used. The possibility of operating such artillery systems from the trawl as the 2S4 Tyulpan mortar of 240 mm caliber and the self-propelled guns 2S7 Pion / 2S7M Malka of 203 mm caliber is questionable - these vehicles have high firepower but low mobility, making them more likely to be destroyed by enemy counter-battery fire. Ensuring the firing of mortars 2S4 "Tyulpan" and self-propelled guns 2S7 "Pion" / 2S7M "Malka" from the trawl will be more difficult to implement than self-propelled guns of 122 mm and 152 mm caliber, but the feasibility of this is very high.
SAU 2S7 "Pion" (left) and mortar 2S4 "Tulip" (right)
Conclusions
The scheme for organizing the combat work of tracked self-propelled guns with the possibility of firing directly from wheeled trawls will provide the RF Armed Forces with the following advantages:
- the ability to choose between mobility and cross-country ability;
- reduction of losses of tracked self-propelled guns from enemy counter-battery fire;
- a significant increase in the mobility of artillery units equipped with tracked self-propelled guns, ensuring the possibility of prompt transfer of self-propelled guns from one direction to another;
- saving engine life and life of the undercarriage of tracked self-propelled guns;
- an increase in the ammunition load (if possible), prompt delivery of fuel and ammunition when the tracked self-propelled guns “dismount”;
- minimizing the impact of tracked ACS on infrastructure (roads);
- an increase in the number of trawls in the troops as a whole will make it possible, if necessary, to use them for transporting other military equipment;
- there will be no need to accelerate the development of wheeled self-propelled guns (reducing the risk of design errors) with the development of mass production (which is always associated with problems and delays), instead, you can focus on the production of used wheeled self-propelled guns and the purchase of modified trawls for them.
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