The 2S15 Norov (, "Vice") is a Soviet self-propelled gun based on the

2S1 Gvozdika The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (, "Dianthus caryophyllus, Carnation") is a Soviet Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled howitzer introduced in 1972 and is in service in Russia and other countries . It is based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mount ...

, itself based on the

MT-LBu The MT-LBu is a Soviet Union, Soviet multi-purpose fully amphibious vehicle, amphibious armoured carrier which was developed under the factory index Ob'yekt 10 in the late 1960s, based on the MT-LB. It has a more powerful engine, a 40 cm high ...

chassis. The 2S15 was not mass-produced.

History

During the 1970s, the Soviet Union identified new requirements for anti-tank weapons, which required self-propelled anti-tank guns to combine mobility, counterattacking firepower and accuracy, allowing them to hit targets at considerable distances from their firing positions. With these in mind, a decision was made by the USSR

military–industrial complex The expression military–industrial complex (MIC) describes the relationship between a country's military and the Arms industry, defense industry that supplies it, seen together as a vested interest which influences public policy. A driving fac ...

on May 17, 1976, to give the task of designing a lightweight 100 mm-caliber self-propelled anti-tank gun to a group of enterprises. The self-propelled gun was supposed to include an automatic radar fire control system, and was given the code name "Norov". The gun was designed to be based on the 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, the entire project being headed by the

Yurga Machine-Building Plant Yurga Machine-Building Plant () is a company based in Yurga, Kemerovo Oblast — Kuzbass, Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. Since 2015 it is part of Uralvagonzavod. Yurga Machine-Building Plant produces missile launchers for the Russian Strategic Rocket ...

, while the automatic radar fire control system would be built by the Tula-based Strela design bureau. Prototypes of the 2S15 would be built by KB Arsenal, but production did not finish before the deadline, which delayed the presentation of the gun to 1981, when the guns again failed to present themselves. Tests of the gun began in 1983, where problems and shortcomings were discovered, and were completed in 1985. However, by that time, with the introduction of new models of tanks, the 100 mm gun proved to be of little use against their intended targets. The Norov project was seen as unpromising, and was shut down by the USSR military-industrial complex in December 1985.

References

{{Reflist 100 mm artillery Tank destroyers of the Cold War Self-propelled artillery of the Soviet Union Abandoned military projects of the Soviet Union