Artillery

2S3 Akatsiya

Also known as
  • SO-152
  • M1973
  • M-1973
  • 2S3M Akatsiya
  • 2S3M1 Akatsiya
  • 2S3M2 Akatsiya

The 2S3 Akatsiya is a Soviet 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built around the 2A33 gun and a turreted armored chassis. Designed for divisional fire support and accepted into service in 1971, it appears across Iraqi, Chechen, Syrian, Armenian, Libyan, Russian, and Ukrainian conflict records because large Cold War stocks remained in service long after newer self-propelled artillery entered use.

2S3 Akatsiya, 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, Artillery
Image source: File:2S3 Akatsiya in Kyiv.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Fire Support

Armenian and Artsakh forces fielded 152 mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting; Oryx visually documented five Armenian 2S3 Akatsiya losses, and Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reports claimed Armenian 2S3s were destroyed by Azerbaijani fire.

2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Fire Support

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have fielded 2S3 Akatsiya tracked 152 mm self-propelled howitzers in the Russia-Ukraine War. Oryx visually documents losses on both sides, while RFE/RL reporting from May 2024 shows a Ukrainian 22nd Mechanized Brigade crew firing a 2S3 near Chasiv Yar.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer
Service note
Cold War design in continued 2014 Russia-Ukraine War service
Designer
Petrov Design Bureau / Uraltransmash
Designed
1967-1971
Produced
1970-1993 for main Soviet/Russian production variants
Number built
About 4,000 reported by Weaponsystems.net

Specifications

Crew
4
Main armament
152 mm 2A33 howitzer in a fully traversing turret
Secondary armament
7.62 mm PKT machine gun
Combat weight
About 27.5-28 metric tons
Ammunition carried
Up to 46 rounds on later variants
Maximum range
About 17.4-20.3 km depending on ammunition/source
Rate of fire
Up to 4 rounds per minute; about 1 round per minute sustained
Mobility
V-59/V-59U 520 hp diesel engine; about 60 km/h road speed and 500 km road range
Protection
Welded steel armor, commonly listed around 15-30 mm, with NBC protection
Fire Mission Profile

The Akatsiya sits between towed 152 mm guns and newer long-range self-propelled artillery: it gives divisional formations armored tracked mobility and a turreted 2A33 gun, but its common range figures are shorter than modern 152/155 mm systems.

Primary role

Suppression and destruction of personnel, artillery and mortar batteries, command posts, firing points, and other targets within divisional fire-support depth.

Gun family

The 152 mm 2A33/D-22 howitzer is related to the D-20 ordnance family, which explains the catalog relationship to D-20 ammunition compatibility.

Modernization pressure

Later 2S3M-family standards focused on ammunition handling, communications, navigation, and automated fire-control improvements rather than turning the vehicle into a new artillery class.

Variants

The base 2S3 family was followed by Soviet/Russian modernization standards that improved ammunition handling, communications, and fire-control equipment while retaining the 152 mm 2A33 gun family.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
2S3Initial production model

Baseline Akatsiya accepted into service in the early 1970s as a 152 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer.

Sources: 2S3 Akatsiya, 2S3 Akatsiya (M1973) Russian 152mm Self-Propelled Howitzer

2S3MAmmunition-handling modernization

Modernized production standard associated with increased onboard ammunition capacity and revised ammunition handling.

Sources: 2S3 Akatsiya

2S3M1Fire-control and communications modernization

Later modernization standard listed for improved command, communications, and fire-control equipment.

Sources: 2S3 Akatsiya

2S3M2Post-Soviet fire-control modernization

Further Russian modernization standard associated with updated fire-control and navigation equipment.

Sources: 2S3 Akatsiya

Ammunition Fired

Army Recognition reports that the 2S3 Akatsiya can fire the 9K25 Krasnopol laser-guided projectile.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
9K25 Krasnopol laser-guided projectile, 152/155 mm laser-guided artillery projectile, Munitions9K25 Krasnopol laser-guided projectile152 mm laser-guided projectile

Army Recognition identifies the 2S3 Akatsiya as one of the self-propelled howitzers that can fire Krasnopol projectiles.

Sources: Krasnopol guided shells

Compatible Ordnance
Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
D-20, 152 mm towed gun-howitzer, ArtilleryD-20Towed 152 mm howitzer

Weaponsystems.net states that the 2S3 Akatsiya uses the same type of ordnance as the D-20, making the D-20 the explicit compatibility reference for the 2S3's gun family.

Sources: 2S3 Akatsiya

Timeline

2S3 Akatsiya Key Events

  1. Akatsiya development begins

    The 2S3 program began in the late 1960s as a Soviet tracked divisional self-propelled howitzer project centered on a 152 mm gun.

    Sources: 2S3 Akatsiya, 152 mm self-propelled howitzer Akatsiya

  2. Accepted for Soviet service

    Reference sources place the 2S3 Akatsiya's entry into Soviet service in 1971, before large-scale production of later 2S3M-family variants.

    Sources: 2S3 Akatsiya, 152 mm self-propelled howitzer Akatsiya

  3. Iraqi example captured during the Gulf War

    Imperial War Museums identifies its Akatsiya as a Gulf War capture from Iraqi forces, directly tying the type to Iraqi self-propelled artillery stocks in 1990-1991.

    Sources: IWM 2S3M Akatsiya collection record

  4. Syrian Civil War use begins

    Bellingcat lists the 2S3 among Syrian Arab Army armored fighting vehicles actively used and lost between 2011 and 2017.

    Sources: Bellingcat SAA vehicle losses 2011-2017

  5. Ukrainian 2S3 crew documented near Chasiv Yar

    RFE/RL reported from Ukrainian defensive positions near Chasiv Yar and photographed a 22nd Mechanized Brigade soldier firing a 2S3 Akatsiya.

    Sources: RFE/RL Chasiv Yar defenses

Media

2S3 Akatsiya Videos

2S3 Akatsiya Images

2S3 Akatsiya, 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, Artillery - view 1
Source: File:2S3 Akatsiya in Kyiv.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
2S35 Koalitsiya-SV, 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S35 Koalitsiya-SV152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV is a Russian 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer developed as a highly automated successor to the 2S19 Msta-S, pairing a 2A88 gun, automated loading, digital fire-control features, and a T-90-derived chassis for long-range tube-artillery missions. Russian and specialist reporting placed small numbers near the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War front from late 2023, but the direct conflict record remains source-limited and centered on counter-battery claims rather than verified large-scale fielding.
2S19 Msta-S, 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S19 Msta-S152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S19 Msta-S is a Soviet-designed, Russian-produced 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer that combines a 2A64 gun, armored cross-country mobility, automated loading, and later digital fire-control upgrades. The 2S19M1 branch adds automated guidance and command-and-control integration, while official Rostec reporting describes the 2S19M2 / 2S33 Msta-SM2 branch with ASUNO-M fire control, electronic mapping, automatic laying recovery, and a 10-round-per-minute aimed firing rate. Its combat record spans Russian use in Chechnya and Ukraine, Ethiopia's wartime Msta fleet, and Ukrainian operation of captured Msta-S systems.
2S5 Giatsint-S, 152 mm tracked self-propelled gun, ArtilleryArtillery2S5 Giatsint-S152 mm tracked self-propelled gunThe 2S5 Giatsint-S is a Soviet 152 mm tracked self-propelled gun built for long-range corps- and army-level fire support. Its open rear-mounted 2A37 gun gives it greater reach than many older Soviet 152 mm systems, while its tracked chassis and stabilizing rear spade support shoot-and-move artillery work. Sources document 2S5 use or fielding context from Afghanistan and Chechnya through the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, with additional wartime transfer evidence for Ethiopia during the Eritrean-Ethiopian War.
2S43 Malva, 152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S43 Malva152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzerThe 2S43 Malva is a Russian 152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer that places a 2A64 gun on a BAZ 8x8 chassis for faster road moves and lower operating demands than tracked turreted artillery. Developed through the Nabrosok wheeled-artillery program, it entered Russian deliveries in 2023 and has since been documented with Russian forces in Ukraine, including reconnaissance sightings, Ukrainian strike reports, and visually confirmed losses.
AHS Krab, 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtilleryAHS Krab155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe AHS Krab is a Polish 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Huta Stalowa Wola around a NATO-standard 52-caliber gun, an AS-90 Braveheart turret lineage, a K9-derived tracked chassis, and the TOPAZ fire-control ecosystem. In Ukrainian service it gives artillery units a mobile Western-caliber gun able to fire standard and precision 155 mm ammunition, displace after missions, and operate in counter-battery-threatened sectors of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
152 mm SpGH DANA, 152 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery152 mm SpGH DANA152 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-howitzerThe 152 mm SpGH DANA is a Czechoslovak wheeled self-propelled gun-howitzer built around a Tatra 8x8 chassis, a semi-automatic loading system, and a 152 mm gun compatible with Soviet-pattern ammunition. The family appears in several post-Soviet and coalition conflicts: Georgian DANA guns were documented in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, Polish DANA crews fired in Afghanistan, Azerbaijani DANA M1 systems were reported in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting, and Czech-supplied DANA and DANA M2 howitzers later gave Ukrainian forces mobile 152 mm artillery during the full-scale Russian invasion.
152 mm D-1 gun-howitzer, Towed 152 mm howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery152 mm D-1 gun-howitzerTowed 152 mm howitzerThe 152 mm D-1 gun-howitzer is a Soviet towed heavy howitzer that put a short 152.4 mm ordnance on a lighter split-trail carriage. Its modern record is mostly residual-use evidence: Russia drew D-1 guns from stocks during the full-scale phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, while open loss records tie the same World War II-era system to Armenian/Artsakh equipment in 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh and Syrian government artillery losses in the 2011 Syrian Civil War.

Sources

2S3 Akatsiya (M1973) Russian 152mm Self-Propelled HowitzerPublisher: U.S. Army OE Data Integration Network | Note: Supports high-level system identification, background, and technical specification context. | Accessed: 2026-06-202S3 AkatsiyaPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports origin, service-entry, Uraltransmash production, variants, and detailed specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20152 mm self-propelled howitzer AkatsiyaPublisher: National Defence University of Ukraine | Note: Supports manufacturer, design background, armament, mobility, and service-entry facts. | Accessed: 2026-06-20FAS 2S3 M-1973 Self-Propelled Gun-HowitzerPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports fire-support role, D-20 range comparison, mobility limits, and background context for the 2S3 Akatsiya. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Ukraine's FPV Drones Catch Russian 2S3 Akatsiya Artillery System Before It Can Open FirePublisher: UNITED24 Media | Note: Directly supports the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War note describing Russian use of a 2S3 Akatsiya near the Slovyansk axis. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use: visually documents Russian 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery losses during the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Attack On Europe: Documenting Ukrainian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use: visually documents Ukrainian 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery losses during the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-30RFE/RL Chasiv Yar defensesPublisher: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use: documents a Ukrainian 22nd Mechanized Brigade soldier firing a 2S3 Akatsiya near Chasiv Yar. | Accessed: 2026-06-30IWM 2S3M Akatsiya collection recordPublisher: Imperial War Museums | Note: Directly supports 1990 Gulf War use: identifies a 2S3M Akatsiya self-propelled gun captured from Iraqi forces during the Gulf War. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Restoration Of Equipment Losses During The First Chechen WarPublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports 1994 First Chechen War use: documents 2S3 Akatsiya losses and notes Chechen reliance on inherited 2S3 self-propelled howitzers. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Bellingcat SAA vehicle losses 2011-2017Publisher: Bellingcat | Note: Directly supports 2011 Syrian Civil War use: lists the 2S3 Akatsiya among Syrian Arab Army armored fighting vehicles actively used and lost from 2011 to 2017. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And AzerbaijanPublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict use: visually documents 152 mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers fielded by Armenia / Artsakh and destroyed during the 2020 fighting. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Intense battles continued all nightPublisher: Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan | Note: Directly supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict use: reports Armenian-side 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery mounts used by Armenia / Artsakh and destroyed or disabled by Azerbaijani fire on 9-10 October 2020. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Disaster at TarhunaPublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports 2014 Second Libyan Civil War use: documents GNA capture of three apparently operational 152 mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled guns at Tarhuna after the LNA withdrawal. | Accessed: 2026-07-02File:2S3 Akatsiya in Kyiv.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance source; the file page identifies the vehicle and lists a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 license. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:2S3 Akatsiya.JPEGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance source; the file page identifies the Akatsiya image and lists reuse licensing terms. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Krasnopol guided shellsPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports that Krasnopol projectiles are fired mainly from self-propelled howitzers such as the 2S3 Akatsiya and other 152 mm artillery systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-23