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2S2 Fialka [Violet] Object 924

At the end of the 1950s, new aircraft An-8 and An-12 were developed to replace the outdated Il-12 and Il-14 military transport aircraft . The new aircraft had a larger internal volume and a higher payload. To implement the new capabilities of military transport aviation and draw up a new Airborne Forces Armament Program, in 1964, the USSR Minister of Defense issued an Order on the beginning of research work to determine the tactical and technical requirements for military equipment of the Airborne Forces.

The 120-mm ballistic installation SAO with increased ballistic characteristics was on the SG 2S2 "Violet" chassis. The development of a new ballistic solution was carried out on an initiative basis at TsNIITOCHMASH under the leadership of A.G. Novozhilov and V.A.Karakov on the ballistic installation KG-014 on the howitzer carriage D-30 (designer A.P. Bogolyubov) new long-range shells KG-018 (developers M.N. Goryainova, G.E. Debolskaya) and propelling charges (developers V.P. Schastlivtsev, V.I. Krasnoukhova, G. V. Klimova, PM Kushtanov). Ballistic installation KG-014: Experimental shots with the KG-018 projectile with long-range and variable charges.

In 1969, the Commission of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on military-industrial issues issued a decree prescribing the development of a 120-mm self-propelled mortar for the Airborne Forces. The mortar was supposed to have the ballistics of a regimental towed mortar of the 1955 model.

The Volgograd Tractor Plant was appointed the lead developer of the 2S2, the 2A32 howitzer was designed at OKB-9. In February 1968, the first three prototypes of the 2S2 were sent for testing, but by the end of the year the tests were stopped, as the chassis of the ACS could not withstand the recoil of the gun. In 1969, the research work "Kupol-2" was carried out, based on the results of which a decision was made to create a universal self-propelled artillery gun. The problem of the recoil of the Violet cannon was not solved by the use of an additional road roller in the chassis. One of the ways out of this situation was the proposal to use the ballistic gun of the 122 mm M-30 howitzer.

The design bureau of transport and chemical engineering was engaged in the development. The chassis of a self-propelled howitzer was used as a base. The mortar was installed in the regular mounting location of the 2A32 howitzer. According to the tactical and technical assignment, the self-propelled mortar was supposed to provide firing angles along the horizon from -15 to + 15°, in addition, an additional 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun "Cliff" was to be installed . However, during the design, the horizontal firing sector was reduced to 20°, and the machine gun was excluded from the product.

The chassis of the 2S2 was a modified chassis of the BMD-1 airborne assault vehicle. The undercarriage consisted of five pairs of dual rubberized road wheels (later the base was lengthened and another pair of road wheels was added to the undercarriage). In the back of the car there were drive wheels, in the front there were guides. The caterpillar track consisted of small links with hinges connected by pins. Suspension 2C2 was hydropneumatic, with variable ground clearance. The first and last road wheels are equipped with double-sided hydraulic shock absorbers.

According to preliminary estimates, the introduction of new equipment into the artillery units of the Airborne Forces should have increased their capabilities by 1.6 times. The Violet howitzer was not accepted for service for a number of reasons. The main reason was the high recoil of the 2A32 gun with the ballistics of the D-30 howitzer, which the BMD-1 chassis could not withstand. Attempts were made to introduce the 2S1 self-propelled howitzer, intended for the ground forces, into the Airborne Forces. This solution did not allow the transport of more than one 122-mm self-propelled gun in An-12 aircraft, and the landing could only be carried out by landing.

By 1980, a proposal from TsNIITOCHMASH appeared to increase the ballistics of 120-mm guns in order to increase the combat capabilities of battalion artillery. Calculations showed that this would provide an increase in the firing range of a conventional OFS up to 13 km. But the first ballistic installation on the chassis of the 122-mm SG2S2 "Violet"did not allow to give the necessary load to obtain the calculated firing characteristics.

With the beginning of the development of CAO 2S9, further continuation of work on the self-propelled howitzer "Violet" and the self-propelled mortar "Lily of the valley" (which was being developed at the same time), became impractical.

In 1982, based on the experimental data obtained, the institute came up with a proposal for the unification of artillery weapons in the battalion-regiment link and the development of regimental towed and self-propelled artillery weapons in 120-mm caliber with an increased firing range. By joint order of the Ministry of Defense Industry and Minmash No. 323/267 dated 06/27/85, R&D "120-mm self-propelled gun and shots to it with improved characteristics compared to CAO 2S9" (code "Nona-2") were delivered. The purpose of the research work was to create a scientific and technical reserve for the development of a promising 120-mm artillery complex, which included a new artillery system, shots to it, as well as an automated fire control system.