2S35 Koaliytsa-SV

Russian SPH (2023) - 12+ built

The 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV ("Coalition-SV") is a Russian self-propelled gun revealed to the public in 2015 during rehearsals for the Moscow Victory Day Parade. It was later presented in 2023 to complement and later replace the 2S19 Msta in the Russian Ground Forces as well as all remaining Soviet legacy vehicles. Unlike the more massive 2D7M Malka it is given a 152 mm (6 inches) guns in fully protected turret with full traverse. It is based on the older T-90 chassis rather than the new Atmata platform but this could change in the future. So far only 12 pre-production vehicles has been delivered, entering service in 2023. It never had been deployed in Ukraine so far.

The 2S35 development

2S35 at Alabino Training ground, May parade reharsal

The 2S35 was originally developed as a simple variant of the 1989 2S19 Msta and started as a 2S19 chassis with modified turret which used a btand new over-and-under dual autoloaded for its similar howitzer. However that development was abandoned in 2010 and instead a brand new vehicle was designed around a more conventional system than this dual-gun design albeit the name was kept "Coalition" when serial production and original delivery date set for 2016 were approved. The name was not changed afterwards, but this is a clear departure of the "flowers" used until then.

In February 2018, twelve 2S35 whad state trials with the Russian MOD hoping to complete development by 2020 and greenlight for serial production. The latter was delayed and by August 2021 a contract for serial production with UralTransMash (UralVagonZavod). By April 2023 both the head of Missile Forces and Artillery announced the new vehicle was still undergoing state trials and was not to be deployed in Ukraine. State trials were only completed on October 20, 2023, greenlighting "mass" production. By the fall of 2023, the first 2S35s arrioved in units for field tests in the army. The first batch of twelve was completed by late December, all experimental, and 2024 tests brought feedback introduced in the Serial production which is now ongoing in 2025. Operational deployment in Ukraine is likely, thus, in 2025, especially since the war is largely dictated by artillery. However it is unknown how much had been planned to deal with drones.

Design of the 2S35

Layout & Protection

The 2S35 has been a brand new model instead of a simple modernization of the 2S19 so most experts agrees the number of innovations should justify the jump. The 2S35 has indeed much increased automation, reduced the crew down to 2 or 3 located in an armored capsule below the two front hull hatches, leaving the lighter turret empty. This is a considerable change from the 2S19 and its conventional manned turret and crew of 5. If pulled out, it means more of units equipped with these with half crews. If the economics allows, this is a major change.

Other than this, the layout and general size and weight remaind pretty close to the 2S19. The heavy automation seems to marginally reduce the turret's height, but given its bulk, still, the extra space saved is used to store more ammunition. However there is still a left side commander's hatch with a ring-mounted heavy machine gun and in parade, the commander is clearly visible sticking out of it. It is thus likely that the turret is fully autmated with manual backup, implying some free space is kept for the crew to continue operating inside the turret if needed. It should be said that the "amoured capsule" concept taunted with the T-14 Armata had never been deployed on tracked self propelled howitzer so far. The closest would be the German Boxer RCH-155, which is wheeled. Still, there are three hatches located at the front of the chassis.

The driver is located on the center just like on the T-90. The chassis should also be identical to the 2S19/T-90 MBT, showing the same frontal armour, drivetrain, side utility boxes, exhaust and general configuration. Since no footage had been leaked so far of the vehicles's armoured capsule, it's open to debate. The full automation means the commander should be able to made a few choices regarding the gun's laying (which should be automated, based on the data received), corrected or adjusted if needed, and the selection of ammunitions made locally depending on the unit setup. The gun laying (while stopped), data calculations and adjustment based on sensor's data on wind, humidity and temperature followed by a fully autmated ammunition selection loading and fire by the commander. If not, that would be the task of the gunner.

Protection-wise, the 2S35 Koaliytsa shares the same value as the 2S19 chassis, but for the turret, all-welded steel armor construction providing protection from small arms fire and shell splinters. The vehicle is also protected NBC/CBRN with collective overpressure and void-based management of the ammo casing ejection. It could be limited to the armoured capsule though. Passive protection of the chassis's drivetrain is enhanced by a redesigned skirt wirth better cover. For active protection, it is known to have two sets of three 902B Tucha smoke grenade launchers. For fire suppression it has likely halon-based fire extinguishers in the capsule, turret, driver's compartment and engine compartment, as well as cookoff blast doors in turret's bustle ammunition storage.

Mobility

As production goes, and despite previous announcements, the 2S35 seems not based (at least yet) on the Armata Universal Combat Platform given their seven road wheels. The ones showed at the 2015 Parade rehearsals used the old and trusted six-wheeled, T-90 derived chassis. Later production however shoud use the Armata, perhaps a 2S35M FY2027-2030. The chassis procures, for a mass of Mass48 to 55 tons, a V12, 4-stroke diesel V-84A, liquid-cooled, supercharged and rated for 780 hp, which must be a bit "short" given the weight of the new vehicle. Other sources states "1000 hp" without mch precisions. The previous engine could burn kerosene TS-1, T-1 and T-2 in addition to diesel and is coupled to a mechanical transmission with onboard planetary gearboxes, seven forward, one reverse for a top speed forward announced at 60 km/h. The chassis os supported by six pairs of rubber-coated road wheels, five pairs of support rollers on either side, drive sprockets at the rear, idlers at the front, individual torsion bars, telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers on the first, second and sixth road wheels.

Armament

Initial reports goes for a 2A88 152 mm gun (other sources: 155 mm gun). When using precision-guided, assisted rounds up to 80 km and down to 40 km with standard rounds as used on the smililalry armed Msta-S. Claimed average rate of fire is around 16 rounds per minute, improved due to the new automated, pneumatic loader. Estimated load is c60-70 rounds thanked to the space spared in the turret. Each platoon of four vehicles is deployed with special loader vehicle with a recharge time announced of 15 minutes. The 2S35 modular ammunition loader allows instant propellant change per individual shell, enabling a quick succession of different types to be fired in succession. The vehicle's secondary armament is a 12.7 × 108mm standard ZiD Kord heavy machine gun in a remote weapon station, albeit it could be manually handled as well as shown on parade photos, located on the commander's cupola.

As a highly automated system, the 2S35 uses a single command-and-control interfact with all centralized parameters and actions in a single console, duplocated for the potential gunner. From received forward artillery command post data, the gun is automatically laid and and select the appropriate shell type with the corresponding charge without human intervention, all with fully digital displays for betetr battlefield awarness and if possible, fully remotely through the command-and-control system. It was theorized that the turret could even replace the T-14 Armata's, but that remained to be seen given the widely differing parameters for both types.

specifications
Dimensions (L-w-h)	Unknown, comparable to 2S19
Total weight, battle ready	48-55 tons
Crew	2-3
Propulsion	*1000 hp diesel (est.)
Speed (land/water)	*
Range (on flat)	*
Armament	152.4 mm 2A88 howitzer +12.7mm Kord HMG
Armor	As 2S19
Total production	Pre-prod. batch 12 less prototypes

The Russian assertion of the system was quite positive. The adoption of the Joint Memorandum on Ballistics by NATO in the early 1990s pushed for the modernization of self-propelled guns or upgrading existing ones with the 155 mm barrel/52 calibers with a chamber volume of 23 liters. By 1998, the PzH 2000 was created of the basis of the cancelled PzH 70 project and had a range with DM121 shells to 30-36 km and with the M1711 to 40-47 km. However compared to the PzH-2000, it was estimated the Koalitsiya-SV SPG has a greater firing range, was lighter, had a smaller crew and fully automated loading and firing.

Other estimates of the Russian MOD stated this system surpassed all NATO SPHs by a factor of 1.5-2 times for all characteristics. Compared to the M109 it featured full automation for an increased rate and greater range, meeting modern requirements for combined arms combat at larger distances. The US website National Interest also noted that the Koalitsiya-SV remained superior to even the M109 PIM version of the M109A7 Paladin, and surpassed it in firing range, a decisive advantage in an artillery duel such s in Ukraoine today. Many M109s had been transferred to Ukraine indeed.

Illustrations

Gallery

2S35 rear Turret 4 may rehearsal

Army 2016-518 2S35 reload Vehicle

2S35 parade rehearsal labino

Links

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