The 2S19 Msta-S is a 152.4 mm self-propelled

howitzer The howitzer () is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon (or field gun) and a mortar. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire break ...

designed and manufactured by

Uraltransmash Uraltransmash () is a company based in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Currently it is a subsidiary of Uralvagonzavod. Uraltransmash is Russia's primary producer of self-propelled artillery. Uraltransmash also produces oil drilling rigs and some other c ...

in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and later in Russia, which entered service in 1989 as the successor to the

2S3 Akatsiya The SO-152 (Russian: СО-152), usually known by its Main Missile and Artillery Directorate, GRAU designation 2S3 (), is a Soviet Union, Soviet 152.4 mm self-propelled gun developed in 1968, as a response to the American 155 mm M109 how ...

. The vehicle has the running gear of the

T-80 The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72 and changing the engine to a gas turbi ...

, but is powered by the

T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet Union, Soviet main battle tanks that entered production in 1973. The T-72 was a development based on the T-64 using thought and design of the previous Object 167M. About 25,000 T-72 tanks have been built, and refu ...

's diesel engine.

Development

The Msta-S (also known by the

GRAU The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (), commonly referred to by its transliterated acronym GRAU (), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the Chief of ...

index ''2S19'') bears the Msta (, after the river

Msta The Msta () is a river in Tver and Novgorod Oblasts of northwestern Russia, a tributary of Lake Ilmen. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributaries of the Msta are the Berezayka (left), the Uver (right), the Peretna (left ...

) howitzer, which was designed for deployment either on a self-propelled vehicle or as a towed gun. The 2S19 Msta-S is the armoured self-propelled howitzer, while the 2A65 Msta-B is a towed gun. Development of the 2S19 started in 1980 under the project name ''Ferma''. The prototype was known as Obiekt 316. The 2S19's standard equipment consists of a semi-automatic laying system 1P22, an automatic loader, an

NBC protection Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN defense) or Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection (NBC protection) is a class of protective measures taken in situations where chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclea ...

system, passive

night-vision device A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an Optoelectronics, optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's nig ...

for the driver, a

vehicle snorkel A vehicle snorkel is the land-based equivalent of the submarine snorkel which allows submarines to use diesel engines while submerged. Snorkels, when used by vehicles with air-breathing internal combustion engines, sometimes allow limited de ...

, a dozer blade, a smoke generator and 81 mm smoke launchers, 1V116 intercom system and a 16 kW generator AP-18D. In 2008, the

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...

ordered an improved model with an automated

fire-control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a hum ...

. Russia offered its Msta-S 152 mm howitzer to foreign countries, particularly in the Middle East. A demonstration was organised in 2020 by

Rosoboronexport JSC Rosoboronexport (ROE; , ''Rosoboroneksport'') is the sole state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services. The Rosoboronexport Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSU ...

, the country's nodal agency for arms export, for representatives from various Middle Eastern countries.

Specifications

Msta-S specifications provided by manufacturer * Range: ** standard round ** base-bleed ** rocket-assisted * Rate of fire: 6–8 rounds per minute * Weapon elevation: −4° to +68° * Weapon traverse: 360° * Deployment time: 22 minutes * Unit of fire: 50 rounds

Variants

* 1K17 Szhatie – a "laser tank" armed with a battery of lasers meant to disable optoelectronic systems; based on the Msta-S. * 2S19M1 (unveiled in 2000, first deliveries in 2007) – Improved fire-control system and added

GLONASS GLONASS (, ; ) is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radionavigation-satellite service. It provides an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) and is the second navigational system in operation with global cove ...

antenna. Modernised V-84AMS engine. * 2S19M2 or 2S33 Msta-SM2 (2013) – Improved version currently in production equipped with a new automatic fire-control system which increases the rate of fire to 10 rounds per minute. Digital electronic maps are now available which significantly speeds up the terrain orientation in difficult geographical conditions and allows performing faster and more efficiently firing missions. The 2S33 Msta-SM2 howitzer is fitted with a new 2A79 152 mm/L60 ordnance that has improved ballistics. It can fire ammunition with more propellant charges and with a higher breech pressure than the original 2S19 Msta-S. The gun is longer and has a heavier barrel. As a result, it has a greater range of fire. Maximum range of fire with standard HE-FRAG shells is and with rocket-assisted shells. * 2S19M1-155 (2006) –

155 mm The 155 mm calibre is widely used for artillery guns. Land warfare Historic calibres France - 1874 The caliber originated in France after the Franco-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871). A French artillery committee met on 2 ...

export version of the 2S19M1, fitted with an L/52 gun with a range of more than . Modernised in 2020. * 2S21 Msta-K – Wheeled variant, based on an eight-wheel truck chassis. It used the 2A67 gun, a variant of the 2A65 modified for use from wheeled platforms. There were several different prototypes, including one based on the

Ural-5323 The Ural-5323 is an 8×8 heavy-duty off-road truck specially designed for army service. It has been produced since 1989 by the Ural Automotive Plant located in Miass, Russia. The Ural-5323 is a platform for the Pantsir-S1 gun-missile Air Defense ...

and one on the KrAZ-6316. The project was abandoned in 1987. * 2S19M (also known as 2S30 Iset and 2S33 Msta-SM) – Project for a version with improved range and rate of fire, easier maintenance and optimised manufacturing process. Started between the 1990s and the early 2000s, but quickly abandoned in favour of the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV. * 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV – Project for a new artillery system for the Russian Ground Forces (SV stands for "sukhoputniye voyska"). Early prototypes consisted of a 2S19 chassis with modified turret, fitted with an over-and-under dual autoloaded 152 mm howitzer. Development of this variant was abandoned in favour of an entirely new artillery system using the same designation.

Operational use

About a dozen Msta-S howitzers were purchased by

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

in late 1998, and used against

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

during the

Eritrean–Ethiopian War The Eritrean–Ethiopian War, also known as the Badme War, was a major armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea that took place from May 6, 1998 to June 18, 2000. After 1993 Eritrean independence referendum, Eritrea gained independence from E ...

. They were successfully used to destroy an

Eritrean Air Force The Eritrean Air Force (ERAF) is the air service branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces. History The Eritrean Air Force was established shortly after Eritrean War of Independence in 1994. It was first established by Commander Habtezion Hadg ...

radar station outside Adi Quala. Msta-S howitzers were used by the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

to deliver artillery strikes against Chechen separatists during the

Second Chechen War Names The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...

. Msta-S howitzers have been used in the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

by the pro-Russian separatists who captured one machine during the conflict. Both Msta-B and Msta-S were used by the

Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...

in the

Battle of Bakhmut The battle of Bakhmut was a major battle between the Russian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian Armed Forces for control of the city of Bakhmut, during the eastern Ukraine campaign, a theatre of the Russian invasion of Uk ...

. , there is visual evidence of Russian forces losing 171 Msta-S (123 destroyed, 11 damaged, 2 abandoned and 35 captured) and 35 Msta-SM2 (17 destroyed, 2 damaged and 16 captured).

Operators

Current

* – 18 as of 2024 * – 10 as of 2024 * – 1 as of 2024 * – Estimated to have 300 2S19/2S19M1 Msta-S and 300 2S19M2/2S33 Msta-SM in service with the Ground Forces, 36 2S19M1 Msta-S in service with the Naval Infantry, plus 150 2S19 Msta-S in storage as of 2024 * – 35 as of 2024 * – 48 as of 2024

Former

* − 12 in 2023, none as of 2024 *

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

152-mm Self-propelled Howitzer 2S19 "MSTA-S"

- (Archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:2s19 Msta 152 mm artillery Cold War artillery of the Soviet Union Howitzers of Russia Military vehicles introduced in the 1980s Self-propelled artillery of Russia Self-propelled artillery of the Cold War Self-propelled howitzers of the Soviet Union Tracked self-propelled howitzers Uraltransmash products