Russia develops new amphibious 152mm self-propelled howitzer based on 2S18.

The Russian armed forces may soon be equipped with a new large-caliber self-propelled howitzer capable of autonomously crossing water obstacles. This was announced by Kurganmashzavod which is spearheading the Russian project for a new 152mm amphibious self-propelled howitzer based on the 2S18 "Pat-S."
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Experimental sample of the 2S18 Pat-S Amphibious self-propelled howitzer (Picture source: open source)

The Russian Ministry of Defense has decided to arm its forces with a 152mm self-propelled artillery unit (SPG) with amphibious capabilities. This decision stems from the experience gained during the conflict in Ukraine. Currently, Russian artillery units have only one self-propelled howitzer capable of crossing water, but it has a smaller 122mm caliber and is known as the 2S1 "Gvozdika." Existing and future 152mm SPGs do not possess this capability.

The new howitzer is being developed based on a prototype of the amphibious 2S18 "Pat-S" 152mm SPG, which was created in the 1980s on a BMP-3 chassis. Although the original howitzer is now considered outdated, its design features will serve as the foundation for the new development. The Ministry of Defense demands that the new SPG be capable of floating, firing from concealed positions, and having an extended range.

While not much more is known about this new amphibious howitzer, it will share common features with the 2S18, although the latter never entered service and therefore remains relatively unknown. We still have several technical details about it that may be shared by this new project.

The 2S18 Pat-S stands as a testament to Russia's ambitious but ultimately unrealized plans to modernize its artillery units. Developed in the early 1980s, this 152mm self-propelled howitzer was designed to be a game-changer for motorized and mechanized infantry units. The Pat-S was intended to be the successor to the 2S1 Gvosdika 122mm self-propelled howitzer.

The 2S18 Pat-S was part of a broader shift in artillery strategy, not just in Russia but also among NATO countries. During the 1980s, NATO decided to standardize its field artillery systems around the 155mm caliber, phasing out other calibers. The Soviets followed suit, planning to replace their existing 122mm howitzers with more powerful 152mm models. The Pat-S was essentially a self-propelled version of the 2A61 Pat-B lightweight 152mm towed howitzer, which was developed around the same time as its U.S. counterpart, the M777 155mm lightweight field howitzer.

Weighing between 18.7 and 18.8 tons, the Pat-S was designed for a five-person crew. It had a length of approximately 8.2 meters when the gun was forward and a hull length of 7.2 meters. The howitzer was powered by a UTD-29 diesel engine with 500 horsepower, allowing it to reach a maximum road speed of 70 km/h and an amphibious speed of up to 10 km/h. It had a range of 600 km and could handle a gradient of 60%, a side slope of 30%, and could cross trenches of up to 2.5 meters.

The main armament was a 152mm gun, complemented by a 7.62mm machine gun. Although the barrel length remains unspecified, the howitzer had a shell weight of 43.56 kg and a maximum firing range of 15.2 km. It boasted a maximum rate of fire between 6 to 8 rounds per minute and had a 360-degree traverse range.

The 2S18 Pat-S never made it past the prototype stage. Information about the artillery system was publicly revealed only in the mid-1990s. Some sources suggest that the project failed to meet Soviet requirements, leading to its discontinuation. The collapse of the Soviet Union further complicated matters, as funding issues and a lack of perceived threat led to the shelving of production plans for both the 2A61 Pat-B and the 2S18 Pat-S howitzers.