Artillery crews of the Vislenskaya motorized rifle division of combined-arms army of the Western Military District in the Voronezh region have adopted for service more than 20 modernized self-propelled artillery howitzers of the Msta-SM2 caliber, the press service of the Western Military District said.
2C9M2 Msta-SM2 self-propelled howitzer displayed at Armya-2018 (Picture source: Army Recognition)
"Artillery battalions equipped with the newest pieces of weapons have finished a course of theoretical training and are learning to handle the self-propelled artillery howitzers," it said. The drivers have carried out the final inspection of combat vehicles, which they are currently driving at tank-training grounds," it said.
Deep modernization of the park of combat hardware of the army’s artillery units will make it possible to increase their combat capabilities and create new opportunities for tankmen and motor rifles to include artillery crews in strike reconnaissance forces during joint tactical training events. The crews of two artillery battalions will march from permanent deployment points to Pogonovo range for solo and team training of artillery crews that will involve battle shooting. The crews of two artillery battalions will march from permanent deployment points to Pogonovo range for solo and team training of artillery crews that will involve battle shooting.
The 152 mm 2S19 Msta-SM2 self propelled howitzer is designed to defeat unsheltered and covered manpower, weapons and materiel to division level. The 2S19 was accepted for service with the former Soviet Army in 1989. Initial production was undertaken by the Uraltransmash facility before being transferred to the Sterlitamak Machine Construction Factory in Bashkiriya. First production systems were completed in 1989. This vehicle was developed under the codename MSTA-S from the 1980s at the Uraltransmash facility, as the replacement for the older 152 mm 2S3 and 152 mm 2S5 self-propelled artillery systems. In the Russian Army the 2S19 is normally deployed in batteries of six guns. Each regiment would normally have three batteries to give a total strength of 18 2S19 systems. The 2S19 is also called MSTA-S, with the S standing for Samokhodnyj, or self-propelled.
