Press
The Ukrainian armed forces present a massive artillery cannon at X. She actually comes from Russia. And has significant weak points.
Donbass – The Ukraine war is also being fought on social networks. Both sides encourage themselves with their respective military successes, for example by illustrating the alleged or actual losses of their opponent.
Weapons in the Ukraine War: Kiev and Russian troops rely on 2S7 Pion
For example, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has now prominently placed a video on X (formerly Twitter) that shows a shot from a massive 2S7 Pion artillery gun. The cannon is so powerful that a large pressure wave is created around it and the soldiers involved have to cover their ears with distorted faces.
The recordings are intended to signal strength against Russia, whose army relies on the 2S7 Pion, which translates as peony, in battles. But: The heavy weapon, which was designed in the 1970s, has four significant weak points that ultimately significantly relativize and limit its use at the front and its supposed effectiveness. Whether for Kiev or for Moscow, where Kremlin autocrat Vladimir Putin does not want to back away from his imperialism despite the heaviest losses among his soldiers.
Against Vladimir Putin’s troops: Ukrainians use cumbersome 2S7 Pion
1. Vulnerability: Because the 2S7 is so huge, it weighs 46.5 tons and is correspondingly cumbersome and not very flexible, especially in open terrain. This means that it can travel at a maximum speed of 50 km/h on the road, but is significantly slower on meadows or fields – as long as the military equipment does not simply sink into the ground. Because the 2S7 is so bulky, it takes the crew several minutes to get the gun ready for combat.
To do this, an earth spur that looks like a bulldozer shovel is hydraulically extended at the rear of the vehicle. The earth spur is intended to stabilize the self-propelled howitzer on tracks due to the enormous recoil when fired. Downright fatal: After the shot, it also takes several minutes to get the 2S7 moving again. In the worst case scenario, the gun is estimated to lie on display for enemy kamikaze drones for up to 20 minutes, with which Ukrainians and Russians alike are struggling.
Weapons of Ukraine and Russia: 2S7 is vulnerable to drone attacks
2. Vulnerability: As impressive as the 2A44 gun with a caliber of 203.2 millimeters may be, the carrier vehicle is poorly armored based on an old Soviet MT-T artillery tractor. According to unconfirmed reports, the steel armor of the hull is said to be less than ten millimeters thick. That is simply very little on the battlefield. Kamikaze drones with mounted anti-tank grenades easily break through such thin armor and simply set the vehicle on fire, while there are no stand-off protection systems or even simple machine guns for air defense.
3. Vulnerability: The cannon also helps to keep the 2S7’s actual influence on battles within limits. Because: While the modern self-propelled howitzer 2000, 14 of which Germany delivered to Kiev, can hit targets with meter precision, the 2S7 only fires unguided grenades – which significantly reduces the probability of a hit. The gun has an OP4M-87 telescopic sight, but no digital control for guided missiles in flight, as is the case with the self-propelled howitzer 2000. This can also fire up to six shots in 20 seconds, all of which fly towards a target.
Losses in the Ukraine War: Howitzer 2S7’s impact is probably limited
This is simply impossible with the 2S7, especially since the huge grenades with an estimated weight of over 100 kilograms have to be laboriously reloaded using a swivel arm. The ammunition is also part of the “cannon weak point” position. Because: The 203.2 mm grenades are produced by the arms manufacturer Kirovwerk in Saint Petersburg, and therefore in Russia.
It will probably be difficult for the Ukrainians to get supplies. Because: The NATO military alliance, which supports the Ukrainians in defending their national sovereignty, recently announced extensive deliveries of artillery. However, this involves ammunition in the NATO standard caliber of 155 millimeters, which means that the grenades are “too small” for the “Peony”. While the Ukrainian armed forces successfully combat Russian radar systems with risky flight maneuvers, the effect of the 2S7 is likely to be limited – despite martial videos. (pm)
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