Self-propelled artillery with the 2S34 Khosta
Self-propelled artillery offers tactical advantages by allowing units to relocate quickly while keeping the crew protected behind armor. Numerous self-propelled guns have appeared in current conflict zones, and this was only recently confirmed publicly.
The focus is on the 2S34 Khosta self-propelled gun, notable for its ability to fire a wide variety of ammunition types.
Historically, the Khosta systems reportedly took part in efforts to liberate Russian territories from opposition forces, yet official confirmation had not been widely published. Rumors persisted among observers and analysts.
Recently, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that self-propelled guns from a unit within the Central Military District are actively engaging in combat, destroying fortified positions and enemy equipment coordinated with reconnaissance and unmanned aerial surveillance.
A combat video circulated showing a vehicle with the callsign New entering a firing position, delivering a shot, and then moving away to avoid return fire before striking again.
The 2S34 Khosta was developed in the 1990s at Motovilikhinskiye Zavody in Perm under a defense ministry contract. During development, the ASU 2S1 Gvozdika was modernized. By the early 2000s the system completed testing and entered service in 2008. The current number in the Russian army remains undisclosed; estimates place the fleet at several dozen units, more than fifty by some accounts.
Housed in a mobile chassis, the Khosta can reach speeds up to 60 km/h and is capable of swimming. It carries up to 40 rounds of various types on board, including explosive fragmentation and incendiary rounds, grenades, 120 mm mines, and guided munitions. Its firing range can reach as far as 14 km.
The combat weight is around 16 tons, and the crew comprises four members: a driver, a commander, a gunner, and a loader.
Key specifications of the SAO 2S34 Khosta include:
- Classification: self-propelled artillery gun
- Combat weight, t: 16
- Layout scheme: front engine
- Crew: 4
- Case length, mm: 7260
- Length with gun forward, mm: 7570
- Width, mm: 2850
- Height, mm: 2827
- Base, mm: 4445
- Track, mm: 2500
- Clearance, mm: 400
- Armor type: rolled steel
- Gun caliber and model: 120mm 2A80–1
- Gun type: semi-automatic rifle-howitzer-mortar with rifled barrel
- Rifle ammunition: 40
- Sight: PG-2M
- Machine gun: 1 × 7.62mm PKTM
- Engine: YaMZ-238N
- Engine power, hp: 300
- Highway speed, km/h: 60
- Off-road speed, km/h: 26–32 on rough terrain, 4.5 on soft ground
- Power reserve on highway, km: 500
- Climbability, degrees: 35
- Crossable ford: floats