There is another addition to the family of “flowery” names for self-propelled artillery units. Nomenclature of domestic self-propelled guns with beautiful names“Gvozdika”, “Acacia”, “Hosta” are proposed to be replenished with the “Phlox” firing system - a completely combat vehicle new concept, which has the capabilities of several types of artillery weapons at once and is also mounted on the chassis of an armored off-road truck. The very idea of ​​“wheeled tanks” is not new in the world. However, it is Russian engineers and designers who offer a unified model that combines powerful weapons, mobility, and reliable armor protection. The first sample of the new firing system has already been exhibited at the Army-2016 International Military-Technical Forum currently taking place in the Moscow region. “Phlox” should become one of the brightest “flowers” ​​of this unique “exhibition of achievements” of the Russian armed forces and defense industry. Premiere at Patriot The fact that the 120mm self-propelled artillery piece“Phlox” (as this installation is officially called) is exhibited in the Patriot Park, Yulia Kolmakova, head of the public relations department of the Uralvagonzavod Research and Production Corporation JSC, told Zvezda. According to her, the company is presenting a total of 56 units of military equipment at the forum’s static exposition, including 37 full-scale samples and full-size mock-ups. “In general, the products of eight enterprises are exhibited at our stands,” noted a representative of Uralvagonzavod. – These include JSC Uraltransmash, JSC Omsktransmash, JSC Central Research Institute Burevestnik, JSC NPO Elektromashina, JSC ChTZ-Uraltrak and others. The total exhibition area rented by the corporation in the open area is 1,360 square meters.” Nevertheless, among the new products that attracted the attention of military equipment experts, the first was the Phlox system. Although in fairness it is worth noting that the enterprises included in the structure of Uralvagonzavod presented a fairly wide range of original models this time. What is the cost, for example, of an 82-mm mortar installed on the chassis of an RM 500 all-terrain vehicle (quad bike) or a 120-mm mortar placed on the platform of a UAZ Cargo truck (Patriot SUV). And yet, the role of a kind of headliner of the exhibition rightfully went to Phlox " Moreover, even on the eve of the exhibition, State Secretary - Deputy General Director of UVZ Alexey Zharich posted a photo of this self-propelled gun on his page on one of the social networks. The picture clearly shows the location of the gun (in the rear of the chassis), and the type of base is easily recognizable - an all-wheel drive three-axle truck of the Ural-43206 type with a carrying capacity of more than ten tons. The author of the photo refrained from any more detailed characteristics. Weapons Innovation JSC Central Research Institute Burevestnik confirmed to a Zvezda correspondent the fact of production of the Phlox self-propelled gun on the basis of their enterprise, but were unable to add anything significant to the information previously voiced on this matter by General Director Georgy Zakamennykh. He, in particular, said that the main distinctive feature The new self-propelled gun is its gun, which, due to new design solutions, provides a reduced load on the chassis when fired and increased accuracy of fire. Stepping back, it is worth saying that it is this problem - the unstable position of the gun on a wheeled platform - that is hindering the development of “wheeled tanks” in the West. The solution here is either to increase the mass of the main platform (by turning it into a full-fledged armored personnel carrier), or to use additional supports when firing from a stationary firing position. It must be said that on Phlox these issues are resolved more elegantly. It is possible to withstand increased loads when firing from a gun with such a powerful caliber due to the use of a modern recoil system with an auxiliary hydraulic effect. The mechanical energy of the shot is converted into thermal energy and serves to absorb shocks and impacts. As a result, the shock loads on the gun carriage - a rotating platform mounted on the Ural chassis - are significantly softened. The "main caliber" of the Phlox is the 2A80 gun - a unique combination of a howitzer gun and a mortar. The fire is carried out with 120-mm mines and ready-rifled shells. Interestingly, the gun is equipped with an innovative cooling system, and in addition, it uses an indicator indicating the maximum permissible level of barrel heating. The chassis deserves special mention artillery installation- the Ural car, manufactured in a special armored version and equipped with a reinforced engine with a capacity of over 300 horsepower. The cabin here is welded, made of metal sheets of various thicknesses, and the engine compartment is equipped with its own armored casing. The manufacturer guarantees the safety of the crew even when an explosive device with a capacity of up to two kilograms of TNT is detonated. The Phlox crew will be able to repel attacks by sabotage and reconnaissance groups not only with standard weapons, but also with a 12.7-mm Kord machine gun mounted on the cabin. Self-propelled guns in service Placing a self-propelled artillery mount (and “Phlox” to some extent fits this definition) on a wheelbase truck- truly a new word in the domestic military-industrial complex. The only thing that comes to mind is the Nona-SVK battalion self-propelled artillery gun, mounted on the chassis of the BTR-80 amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier. Adopted for service in 1990, this self-propelled gun is a 120-mm rifled semi-automatic gun-howitzer-mortar and the wheelbase of an armored personnel carrier . "Nona-SVK" is capable of overcoming trenches, trenches, and water obstacles on the move. In terms of the power of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, its shot is comparable to the effect of 152-mm ammunition. The closest modern models to Phlox can be considered the 120-mm self-propelled artillery gun "Khosta" and the system of the same caliber "Vena". Both are tracked, both use a rifled semi-automatic gun, both were produced at the production base of PJSC Motovilikha Plants. At the same time, given that “Vena” is a self-propelled gun of a relatively new model, there is every reason to believe that “Phlox” will take the most advanced technologies from it. These include, for example, the use of a weapon-computing complex. It allows the exchange of information between the combat vehicle and the control vehicle, and the preparation of initial data for firing at independently scouted targets or based on information received from the battery control point. The system also adjusts settings for firing after notching the first shot, controls guidance elements in various modes, and stores in memory (independent of the presence or absence of energy) information about three dozen targets. All necessary information is displayed on the commander’s monitors, which are equipped in the self-propelled gun cockpit “ Phlox". Thanks to this system, it is possible to monitor the technical condition of the complex in real time and control the drives for horizontal and vertical guidance of the gun. A laser target designator-rangefinder is also interfaced with the computer of the gun-computing complex, and the topographical reference system ensures automatic determination of coordinates even when the vehicle is moving. The time of readiness to fire, thanks to the presence of the gun-computer complex, can be... no more than 20 seconds from the moment of receiving the information about the goal! A priority– in mobility Most experts related to missile and artillery topics agree that Phlox is a very timely and potentially in demand combat weapon of modern Ground Forces. The former chief of artillery of the motorized rifle regiment of the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division, reserve lieutenant colonel Leonid Budzdorovenko, admits: if his subordinates had such weapons, it would be much easier to resolve issues of fire support during missions in the North Caucasus. The officer names the wheelbase as the main advantage: the same The Gvozdika, which was in service with artillery battalions of motorized rifle regiments in the mid-1990s, had a tracked drive and was difficult to maintain, limited in speed, and most importantly, had heavy weight, which often did not allow crossing some bridges in Chechnya. In addition, as artillery experts believe, in modern combat The advantages of self-propelled guns, such as powerful armor, are not so in demand. The use of self-propelled guns in an attack, direct fire is a rarity, therefore, the presence of protection against anti-tank weapons is no longer necessary. Fire is most often conducted from closed firing positions distant from the contact line, where there is no contact with the enemy’s armor-piercing weapons. As for protection from attacks, for example on a march, standard car armor will do just fine. From the fire small arms It will also protect improvised explosive devices, and ATGMs, as a rule, are not ambushed. On the other hand, where Phlox is inferior to traditional self-propelled guns made on the chassis of the same armored personnel carriers or tracked vehicles is the ability to overcome water obstacles. The Ural, whatever one may say, does not float, which means it is still limited in mobility... Nevertheless, Uralvagonzavod hopes that the new combat weapon will find its consumer. And it is far from accidental that the example of a self-propelled gun presented in “Patriot” is painted in a protective camouflage to match the color of the desert. This is one of those places on the planet where water barriers are not a problem...

The Burevestnik Central Research Institute (part of the Uralvagonzavod corporation, which produces artillery weapons) will present the latest mobile self-propelled artillery unit, Phlox, at the Army 2016 forum and exhibition. The product is equipped with a unique 120-mm cannon, combining the capabilities of a long-range gun, howitzer and even a mortar. Therefore, Phlox can hit enemy targets located at a distance of 10 km to just hundreds of meters from its position, both with conventional artillery shells and mines.

As the general director of Burevestnik, Georgy Zakamennykh, told Izvestia, this is the first domestic self-propelled artillery unit (SPG) of this caliber, placed on a high-capacity chassis of a vehicle of the Ural family. It is designed to completely replace outdated towed guns of a similar caliber in the Russian army.

The concept of placing a 120-mm gun on a vehicle chassis is a completely new solution for our army,” said Georgy Zakamennykh. - In fact, this is a new class of weapons that can significantly increase the mobility of artillery units of the Russian army. The main distinctive feature of the new self-propelled gun is the gun, which is unified in ballistics and breech with the 2A80 gun, but thanks to new design solutions, it provides a reduced load on the chassis when fired and increased accuracy of fire.

A remote-controlled autonomous artillery module with a 12.7 mm Kord machine gun is installed on the roof of the armored cabin of the driver and artillery crew. The gun itself consists of a barrel, a combined semi-automatic bolt, a cradle secured with a fence, anti-rollback devices and a lifting sector mechanism.

Vertical angles are controlled by a special drive, which restores aiming after a shot has been fired. The transportable ammunition of the Phlox self-propelled gun, as told by the Central Design Bureau, is more than 80 rounds, including 28 ready to fire in operational stowage. Compared to existing towed and transportable 120-mm artillery weapons, all this ensures high mobility of self-propelled guns and automation of the processes of preparing and firing.

According to military historian Alexei Khlopotov, currently only Russian army has unique artillery systems that combine the capabilities of guns, howitzers and mortars.

The Airborne Forces and Ground Forces are armed with the Nona and Khosta self-propelled guns, and Phlox, although it uses their ideology, is superior to its predecessors in firing range and accuracy, as well as in the power of its ammunition, Alexey told Izvestia Khlopotov. - Mortar guns fire not only regular artillery shells, but also mortar shells. They are also capable of raising the trunk in a vertical plane in the range from -2 degrees to +80. Thanks to such solutions, mortar guns can not only hit targets at a distance of up to 10 km along a mounted trajectory, like a howitzer, but also hit targets with direct fire, like conventional cannons, and even throw mines, like mortars, almost vertically into enemy trenches.

The Burevestnik Central Research Institute (part of the Uralvagonzavod corporation, which produces artillery weapons) will present the latest mobile self-propelled artillery unit, Phlox, at the Army 2016 forum and exhibition. The product is equipped with a unique 120-mm cannon, combining the capabilities of a long-range gun, howitzer and even a mortar. Therefore, Phlox can hit enemy targets located at a distance of 10 km to just hundreds of meters from its position, both with conventional artillery shells and mines.

As the general director of Burevestnik, Georgy Zakamennykh, told Izvestia, this is the first domestic self-propelled artillery unit (SPG) of this caliber, placed on a high-capacity chassis of a vehicle of the Ural family. It is designed to completely replace outdated towed guns of a similar caliber in the Russian army.

The concept of placing a 120-mm gun on a vehicle chassis is a completely new solution for our army,” said Georgy Zakamennykh. - In fact, this is a new class of weapons that can significantly increase the mobility of artillery units of the Russian army. The main distinctive feature of the new self-propelled gun is the gun, which is unified in ballistics and breech with the 2A80 gun, but thanks to new design solutions, it provides a reduced load on the chassis when fired and increased accuracy of fire.

A remote-controlled autonomous artillery module with a 12.7 mm Kord machine gun is installed on the roof of the armored cabin of the driver and artillery crew. The gun itself consists of a barrel, a combined semi-automatic bolt, a cradle secured with a fence, anti-rollback devices and a lifting sector mechanism.

Vertical angles are controlled by a special drive, which restores aiming after a shot has been fired. The transportable ammunition of the Phlox self-propelled gun, as told by the Central Design Bureau, is more than 80 rounds, including 28 ready to fire in operational stowage. Compared to existing towed and transportable 120-mm artillery weapons, all this ensures high mobility of self-propelled guns and automation of the processes of preparing and firing.

According to military historian Alexei Khlopotov, currently only the Russian army has unique artillery systems that combine the capabilities of guns, howitzers and mortars.

The Airborne Forces and Ground Forces are armed with the Nona and Khosta self-propelled guns, and Phlox, although it uses their ideology, is superior to its predecessors in firing range and accuracy, as well as in the power of its ammunition, Alexey told Izvestia Khlopotov. - Mortar guns fire not only regular artillery shells, but also mortar shells. They are also capable of raising the trunk in a vertical plane in the range from -2 degrees to +80. Thanks to such solutions, mortar guns can not only hit targets at a distance of up to 10 km along a mounted trajectory, like a howitzer, but also hit targets with direct fire, like conventional cannons, and even throw mines, like mortars, almost vertically into enemy trenches.

The 120-mm self-propelled artillery gun 2S40 "Flox" on the Ural-4320VV (6x6) chassis was developed at JSC Central Research Institute "Burevestnik" (part of the Uralvagonzavod concern). The self-propelled gun is designed to perform fire missions to hit moving and stationary targets with mortar mines or artillery shells (including high-precision ones).

The combat weight of the vehicle is about 20 tons. The self-propelled gun has armor: the front part protection corresponds to class VI, the sides are protected according to class V, the engine and transmission section is protected by an armored casing corresponding to class III. The chassis protects against mines weighing up to 2 kg of TNT - the explosion does not affect the performance of the engine, and a charge of 5 kg of TNT cannot incapacitate the crew. To increase cross-country ability, middle and rear differential locks are provided. The installation is equipped with a YaMZ-536 diesel engine with a power of 310 hp. The crew consists of an artillery crew (3 people) and a driver, who is located in a 5-seater armored cabin.

The stern of the self-propelled gun is equipped with a rotating platform with a 120 mm caliber gun module. The rifled gun has the same ballistics and bolt as the 2A80 gun. It can be used both as a howitzer and as a mortar, depending on the ammunition used. The firing range reaches 13 km with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, 7.5 km with a high-explosive fragmentation mine, 10 kg with a guided projectile. Firing is fully automated through the use of an automatic loader, rate of fire is 8 (OFS) or 10 (OFM) rounds per minute. The AZ automated ammunition rack contains 28 rounds, another 52 are in conventional racks.

The 120-mm gun is equipped with a modern recoil system, which made it possible to eliminate the need for retractable mounts. This solution, together with modern electronics, makes it possible to reduce the ready-to-fire time to 20 seconds and significantly increases efficiency. Vertical pointing angles from -5 to +80 degrees, horizontally - 35 degrees. right and left. The Phlox self-propelled gun is equipped with a modern digital weapon-computing system, which is capable of performing many tasks automatically. These tasks include:

Transferring and receiving data between machines;

Processing the received information and preparing data for calculating shooting parameters;

Adjustment of the installation's firing on the first shot;

Switching between different surveillance tools depending on environmental conditions;

Storing up to 30 targets in memory at the same time and switching between them.

The received and processed information in real time is continuously supplied to the crew monitors in the cockpit, which allows them to quickly respond to the situation and monitor the status of all systems.

As an additional weapon, self-propelled gun equipped with a remote-controlled combat module with a 12.7 mm Kord machine gun and a combined sighting system (on the roof of the cabin). The self-propelled gun is also equipped with a system for detecting laser irradiation and setting up smoke screens.

Photo © Vitaly Moiseev

The very idea of ​​“wheeled tanks” is not new in the world. However, it is Russian engineers and designers who offer a unified model that combines powerful weapons, mobility, and reliable armor protection. The first example of the new Phlox firing system should become one of the brightest “flowers” ​​of a kind of “exhibition of achievements” of the Russian armed forces and defense industry.

Photo 2.

JSC Central Research Institute Burevestnik confirmed the fact of production of the Phlox self-propelled gun on the basis of their enterprise, but were unable to add anything significant to the information previously voiced on this matter by General Director Georgy Zakamennykh. He, in particular, said that the main distinguishing feature of the new self-propelled gun is its gun, which, due to new design solutions, provides a reduced load on the chassis when fired and increased accuracy of fire.

Photo 3.

It is worth saying that it is precisely this problem – the unstable position of the gun on a wheeled platform – that is preventing the development of “wheeled tanks” in the West. The solution here is either to increase the mass of the main platform (by turning it into a full-fledged armored personnel carrier), or to use additional supports when firing from a stationary firing position.

It must be said that at Phlox these issues were resolved more elegantly. It is possible to withstand increased loads when firing from a gun with such a powerful caliber due to the use of a modern recoil system with an auxiliary hydraulic effect. The mechanical energy of the shot is converted into thermal energy and serves to absorb shocks and impacts. As a result, shock loads on the gun carriage - a rotating platform mounted on the Ural chassis - are significantly softened.

Photo 4.

The “main caliber” of the Phlox is the 2A80 gun – a unique combination of a howitzer gun and a mortar. The fire is carried out with 120-mm mines and ready-rifled shells. Interestingly, the gun is equipped with an innovative cooling system, and in addition, it uses an indicator indicating the maximum permissible level of barrel heating. The chassis of the artillery mount deserves special mention - the Ural vehicle, manufactured in a special armored version and equipped with a reinforced engine with a capacity of over 300 horsepower.

This self-propelled gun weighs about 20 tons. Its crew consists of 4 (3 gunners and a driver) people. She is very different high level automation, due to which the time of transfer to a combat position reaches a record 30 seconds (according to other sources, 20 seconds). The crew has at its disposal the latest means of guidance, navigation and communication.

The available ammunition also breaks records - 80 rounds, which are located in protected special armored superstructures.

The self-propelled gun is capable of using various types of ammunition. For example, high-explosive fragmentation shells can hit targets at a range of 13 km, and controlled ones at a distance of 10 km. It is also possible to use 120 mm min. The gun's rate of fire reaches up to 10 shots per minute.

For uninterrupted operation of the self-propelled gun system when the main engine is turned off, an autonomous power supply unit is installed. Thanks to this, the Phlox will not only increase the service life of the main power plant, but also reduce its thermal signature, which will increase survivability on the battlefield.

This will also be facilitated by a complex of optical-electronic countermeasures against high-precision enemy weapons, with detection sensors and a special grenade launcher protective system.

Photo 5.

The cabin here is welded, made of metal sheets of various thicknesses, and the engine compartment is equipped with its own armored casing. The manufacturer guarantees the safety of the crew even when an explosive device with a capacity of up to two kilograms of TNT is detonated. The Phlox crew will be able to repel attacks by sabotage and reconnaissance groups not only with standard weapons, but also with a 12.7-mm Kord machine gun mounted on the cabin.

Photo 6.

Placing a self-propelled artillery mount (and “Phlox” to some extent fits this definition) on the wheelbase of a truck is truly a new word in the domestic military-industrial complex. The only thing that comes to mind is the Nona-SVK battalion self-propelled artillery gun mounted on the chassis of the BTR-80 amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier.

Entered into service in 1990, this self-propelled gun is a 120mm rifled semi-automatic gun-howitzer-mortar and the wheelbase of an armored personnel carrier. "Nona-SVK" is capable of overcoming trenches, trenches, and water obstacles on the move. In terms of the power of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, its shot is comparable to the effect of 152 mm ammunition.

Photo 7.

The closest modern models to Phlox can be considered the 120-mm Khosta self-propelled artillery gun and the Vena system of the same caliber. Both are tracked, both use a rifled semi-automatic gun, both were produced at the production base of PJSC Motovilikha Plants. At the same time, given that “Vena” is a self-propelled gun of a relatively new model, there is every reason to believe that “Phlox” will take the most advanced technologies from it.

Photo 8.

These include, for example, the use of an instrument-computing complex. It allows the exchange of information between the combat vehicle and the control vehicle, and the preparation of initial data for firing at independently scouted targets or based on information received from the battery control point. The system also adjusts the settings for firing after notching the first shot, controls guidance elements in various modes, and stores information about three dozen targets in memory (independent of the presence or absence of energy).

Photo 9.

All necessary information is displayed on the commander’s monitors, which are equipped in the Phlox self-propelled gun cabin. Thanks to this system, it is possible to monitor the technical condition of the complex in real time and control the drives for horizontal and vertical guidance of the gun. A laser target designator-rangefinder is also interfaced with the computer of the weapon-computing complex, and the topographical reference system ensures automatic determination of coordinates even when the vehicle is moving.

Photo 10.

Most experts related to missile and artillery topics agree that Phlox is a very timely and potentially in-demand combat weapon for modern Ground Forces. The former chief of artillery of the motorized rifle regiment of the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division, reserve lieutenant colonel Leonid Budzdorovenko, admits: if his subordinates had such weapons, it would be much easier to resolve issues of fire support during missions in the North Caucasus.

The officer names the wheelbase as the main advantage: the same “Gvozdika”, which was in service with artillery divisions of motorized rifle regiments in the mid-1990s, had a tracked drive and was difficult to maintain, limited in speed, and most importantly, had a lot of weight, which often did not allow crossing some bridges in Chechnya.

Photo 11.

In addition, as experts in the field of artillery believe, in modern combat such advantages of self-propelled guns as powerful armor are not so in demand. The use of self-propelled guns in an attack, direct fire is a rarity, therefore, the presence of protection against anti-tank weapons is no longer a necessity.

Photo 12.

Fire is most often conducted from closed firing positions distant from the contact line, where there is no contact with enemy armor-piercing weapons. As for protection from attacks, for example on a march, standard car armor will do just fine. It will protect against small arms fire and improvised explosive devices, and as a rule, ATGMs are not used in an ambush.

sources