American ammo boosts Soviet howitzers in Ukraine conflict
The war in Ukraine is replete with ironic situations, such as the compatibility of American ammunition for the powerful M110 203 mm howitzers, which are capable of firing nuclear shells, with their Soviet counterparts, the 2S7 Pion. Here’s an explanation of how this is possible.
Recently, a photo of another powerful 2S7 Pion howitzer firing 203 mm M106 shells, intended for the American M110 howitzers, appeared online. These shells fit the Soviet-equivalent atomic artillery, making the somewhat old and not very modern 2S7 Pion howitzers still valid on the battlefield.
These howitzers are particularly useful when destroying fortified enemy positions because their nearly 100 kg shells can handle targets that artillery of more common calibres, such as 122 mm, 152 mm, or 155 mm, cannot.
In their case, the explosive charge is at most 9 kg, whereas for M106 shells, it is at least 15 kg of TNT. It is not known what specific changes were made to the 2S7 Pion howitzer. Still, they were likely minor since the Russians were also using American ammunition supplied through Iran in their howitzers.
The shells may fit because both systems are of the same calibre, and the mathematics and physics are identical for all designers. It is also significant that the 2S7 Pion was developed a decade later than the M110, which may have served as a starting point for the Russians' own project.
2S7 Pion - a highly destructive yet vulnerable construction
Designed in the 1970s, the 2S7 Pion howitzers are based on a 203 mm gun mounted on a T-80 tank chassis. This results in a self-propelled system with up to 40 km range for regular shells or 46-55 km for rocket-assisted ammunition.
Conversely, the range for the simplest shells for the M110 howitzers was 30 km. Still, the American construction had a shorter barrel than the Pion, resulting in lower shell velocity and a shorter range. The M110 howitzers were already withdrawn from service in the US Army, but Americans still had a stockpile of ammunition for them. Instead of costly disposal, it is being used to eliminate Russians in Ukraine, similar to the Zuni rockets.
Despite its powerful firepower and decent range, the 2S7 Pion is relatively stationary because its preparation for firing or leaving the firing position takes a long time. Its rate of fire is also low, as it can fire only about one or, at most, 1.5 rounds per minute.
Moreover, the howitzer carries only four shells, with the remaining shells and the 14-person crew transported in additional accompanying vehicles. The Ukrainians, lacking modern artillery systems, use the Pions, which, due to their range and firepower, are a more effective solution than, for example, the Goździk or towed D-20 howitzers.
