152 mm self-propelled howitzer Akatsiya

2С3 "Akatsiya" (Index of the Belarusian State Technical University - Object 303) is a Soviet 152mm self-propelled howitzer. It was developed at the Ural Transport Machinery Plant. The chief designer of the chassis was G.S. Yefimov, and the 152mm gun 2A33 was designed by F.F. Petrov. The 2S3 "Akatsiya" is designed for suppressing and destroying enemy personnel, artillery and mortar batteries, missile launchers, tanks, firing points, command posts, and tactical nuclear weapons.

The design and manufacture of the first prototypes of the artillery section of the 152-mm self-propelled howitzer 2S3“Acacia” was carried out in Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), at the Kalinin Design Bureau-9, and the chassis was produced at the Uraltransmash plant.

The artillery portion of the vehicle was developed on the basis of the 152-mm towed howitzer D-20. The internal structure of the barrel, ballistics, and ammunition were taken from the D-20 without changes.

The new howitzer received the D-22 factory index and the 2AZZ index of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (MMAC). The chassis was developed on the basis of the Krug SAM launcher, which in turn was created on the basis of the SU-100P prototype SAM, and received the Object 303 index.

The first two prototypes of the 2SZ were produced in late 1968. During the factory tests, which ended in October 1969, the combat compartment was found to be very gassy, especially when firing small charges. For the same reason, four more samples produced in the summer of 1969 for range testing were not accepted. Therefore, it was recommended to replace the separate cartridge case loading with a cartridge case and introduce a semi-automatic piston bolt with a plastic breech.

However, this innovation did not promise any special advantages, although it was considered necessary to use it in the design of new 152-mm self-propelled guns. In the end, the problem of gas pollution was solved by modifying the ventilation system.

On the other hand, the tracked chassis "Object 303" received a high rating from military customers and employees of the SRI of Transport Machine Building after testing experimental units at the test site of Main Armored Directorate. This chassis was considered as a base for new samples of self-propelled artillery and rocket launchers weighing up to 30 tons.

The 2C3 was also used as a base for creating such self-propelled artillery systems as the 152mm howitzer and 240mm self-propelled mortar, as well as a number of other combat and auxiliary vehicles. During operation, the running gear of the 2C3 also demonstrated extremely high reliability.

In 1970, the 2C3 showed excellent results during State trials, and by the end of the year, the first three serial machines had been assembled at the Ukrainian Tractor Plant.

At a major military exercise in 1971, Defence Minister A.A. Grechko personally saw the advantages of the new self-propelled guns. In the same year, the 2S3“Acacia” was adopted into service, and nine more vehicles were produced at ukrainian tractor plant, six of them in December. In 1973, the plant received an order for 70 air-defence systems.