View source for 2A36 Giatsint-B

{{Short description|Soviet 152 mm towed field gun}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = 2A36 Giatsint-B
| image              = ParkPatriot2015part6-62.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| alt                = 
| caption            = A Giatsint-B on display at [[Patriot Park]]
| type               = 
| origin             = Soviet Union
<!-- Type selection -->
| is_ranged          = yes
| is_explosive       = 
| is_artillery       = yes
| is_UK              = 
<!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1976−Present
| used_by            = See ''[[#Operators|operators]]''
| wars               = [[Gulf War]]<br />[[Second Nagorno-Karabakh War]]<br />[[Russo-Ukrainian War]]
<!-- Production history -->
| designer           = Yuri Kalachnikov<ref name="Nuou">{{cite web |title=152-mm cannon 2A36 Giatsint-B |url=https://nuou.org.ua/en/152-2a36-gaczint-b.html |website=National Defence University of Ukraine |access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref>
| design_date        = 1968−1975
| manufacturer       = [[Perm, Russia|Perm]] Machine Works
| developed_from     =
| developed_into     =
| unit_cost          = US$ 500,000−600,000 (export price, 1995){{sfn|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995|page=VI-8}}
| production_date    = 1976−1980s{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=971}}
| number             = 1,500{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=971}}
| variants           = 
<!-- General specifications -->
| spec_label         = 
| mass               = {{convert|9800|kg|abbr=on}}{{efn|Standard load. When readied for combat the gun mass is {{convert|9760|kg|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}}}
| length             = {{convert|12.3|m|abbr=on}}{{efn|Overall length. When packed for transport the gun length is {{convert|12.92|m|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}}}
| part_length        = {{convert|8.197|m|abbr=on}}
| width              = {{convert|2.788|m|abbr=on}}
| height             = 
| diameter           = 
| crew               = 8
| passengers         = 
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications --> 
| cartridge          = {{convert|152.4|mm|abbr=on}}
| cartridge_weight   = 
| caliber            = 49
| barrels            = 
| action             =
| rate               = 6 rounds per minute{{efn|Rapid fire rate.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}} According to US intelligence sources, the 2A36 has a sustained rate of fire of 1 round per minute.{{sfn|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995|page=VI-8}}}}
| velocity           = 
| range              = 
| max_range          = {{convert|27000-40000|m|yd|abbr=on}}
| feed               = 
| sights             = 
<!-- Artillery specifications -->
| breech             =  [[Rifled breech loader#The sliding block|Horizontal sliding-block]]
| recoil             = 
| carriage           = [[Split trail]]
| elevation          = 57°{{efn|The gun has can be depressed at a maximum angle of −2.5°{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}}}  
| traverse           = 25°
<!-- Explosive specifications --> 
| filling            = 
| filling_weight     = 
| detonation         = 
| yield              = 
<!-- For all -->
| ref                = {{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}
}}

The '''2A36 Giatsint-B''' ({{langx|ru|Гиацинт}}; "[[Hyacinth (plant)|Hyacinth]]")  is a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] towed {{convert|152|mm|abbr=on}} field gun which entered service in 1976, replacing the {{convert|130|mm|abbr=on}} M-46 field gun. 

The 2A36 has the longest range of any Soviet or Russian 152&nbsp;mm caliber artillery fielded since the mid-20th century, with a range of {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} with rocket-assisted projectiles (RAP), while its only outranged by the {{convert|203|mm|abbr=on}} [[2S7 Pion]] with RAP rounds.<ref name="Nuou" />

While some guns were exported to [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]], [[Finland]], and [[Lebanon]], most are in service with the former Soviet republics, including [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Russia]], and [[Ukraine]] and used in local conflicts. 

== Development ==

Development of the 2A36 started in December 1968 at the [[Perm, Russia|Perm]] Machine Works following a requirement from the [[Soviet Army]] for a {{convert|152|mm|abbr=on}} weapon to replace the aging {{convert|130|mm|abbr=on}} [[130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)|M-46 field gun]]. A towed and a self-propelled version ([[2S5 Giatsint-S]]) were developed.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=971}}

In early 1971 two prototypes of the 2A36 were built, with mass production starting in 1976, and in that same year Western intelligence designated the towed gun as the '''152&nbsp;mm gun M1976''' until its correct Russian designation became known. It was first seen in public during a parade held in Moscow in May 1985.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=971}}

== Design ==
According to ''[[Janes Information Services|Janes]]'', the Giatsint-B primary role is [[counter-battery fire]],{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=971}} while a Ukrainian source states that the gun is also designed to suppress and destroy enemy troops and equipment concentrated or on the move, as well demolishing strongholds.<ref name="Nuou" />

The 2A36 152&nbsp;mm 49 caliber barrel is fitted with a multislotted [[muzzle brake]] weighing {{convert|141|kg|abbr=on}}, while the recoil system features a buffer and a recuperator.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}} The breech is a semi-automatic horizontal sliding-block,{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}} and a [[hydropneumatic]] loading assist system is also provided (which uses the energy from the recoil) with a chain-driven rammer for the projectile and the cased propellant charge.<ref name="Nuou" /> The 2A36 can be manually loaded in case of failure of the hydraulic rammer, but at the expense of a lower firing rate. According to Russia, the Giatsint-B can fire 6 shells per minute and that a battery can deliver almost one tonne of ammunition against a target in one minute.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}

The gun is mounted on a conventional split trail carriage with a gun shield to provide the crew protection against shrapnel and shell fragments. The walking beam suspension gives the 2A36 improved off-road mobility and has a total of four rubber-tyred braked roadwheels. The gun is normally towed by a [[KrAZ-260]] 6×6 truck, but it can also be towed by the [[KrAZ-255B]], [[Ural 4320]] 6×6 trucks,{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=971}} or tracked artillery tractors such as the [[AT-T]], [[ATS-59]], and the {{ill|AT-S|ru|АТ-С}}. The KrAZ-260 can tow the gun at a maximum speed of {{convert|80|km/h|abbr=on}} on-road, while the maximum speed is reduced to {{convert|35-45|km/h|abbr=on}} off-road.{{sfn|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995|page=VI-8}} 

The 2A36 can fire a variety of [[Shell (projectile)#Separate loading cased charge|separate-loading ammunition]] including high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) with a maximum range of {{convert|27000|m|yd|abbr=on}}, armour-piercing tracer (AP-T) for direct fire against tanks and other armoured vehicles, and [[rocket-assisted projectile]]s (RAP) rounds with a maximum range of {{convert|40000|m|yd|abbr=on}}. Other types of munitions the 2A36 can fire include smoke, concrete-piercing, and incendiary shells.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}  According to the United States [[Marine Corps Intelligence]], the 2A36 can also fire [[Chemical weapon|chemical]], [[Tactical nuclear|nuclear]], and laser-guided [[Krasnopol (weapon system)|Krasnopol]] shells.{{sfn|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995|page=VI-8}} During tests, the gun successfully fired under temperatures ranging from {{convert|-50-50|C|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Nuou" />

The ammunition used by the Giatsint-B is of a newer design and not interoperable with earlier 152&nbsp;mm artillery systems including the [[2S3 Akatsiya]]. While the 2A36 Giatsint-B and 2S5 Giatsint-S have identical ballistics, they use different types of shells.{{sfn|Foss|2011|pages=971−972}}

== Operational history ==

The 2A36 was exported to [[Finland]] (locally designated as the '''152 K-89''') and [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]]. According to the ''[[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]]'', at least six guns were exported to [[Lebanon]] in 1982.<ref name="SIPRI">{{cite web |title=Trade Registers |url=https://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |website=Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) |access-date=31 January 2024}}</ref> During the early 1990s, Russia offered it for export at around US$ 500,000−600,000 per system in an attempt of obtaning foreign currency and keep some production lines open,{{sfn|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995|page=VI-8}} but according to [[United Nations]] reports, there was no known exports of this weapon between 1992 and 2009.{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=971}}

Most Iraqi guns were destroyed or captured during the [[Gulf War]] in 1991.{{sfn|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995|page=VI-8}} It was also used during the [[Second Nagorno-Karabakh War]] in 2020. According to the [[OSINT]] website ''[[Oryx (website)|Oryx]]'', the Armenians lost at least 15 guns, most of them were destroyed by [[Bayraktar TB2]] drones.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Janovsky |first1=Jakub |last2=Dan |last3=Mitzer |first3=Stijn |last4=Oliemans |first4=Joost |last5=Kemal |title=The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And Azerbaijan |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2020/09/the-fight-for-nagorno-karabakh.html |website=Oryx |access-date=31 December 2024 |date=27 September 2020}}</ref>

Although Russian forces largely made use of [[self-propelled artillery]] during the [[War in Donbas]], they also made use of the towed Giatsint-B.{{sfn|Galeotti|2019|page=40}} Following the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] in 2022, Ukrainian forces have also used the Giatsint-B and the Finnish-supplied 152 K-89 as well.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zelenskyy: Ukraine lacks military strength to recover its Russian-occupied land |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/zelenskyy-ukraine-lacks-military-strength-to-recover-its-russian-occupied-land/7906668.html |access-date=31 December 2024 |work=Voice of America |date=18 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Synagaivska |first1=Sofiia |title=The Finnish Giatsint-B Gun Was Spotted in the Hands of Ukrainian Forces (video) |url=https://en.defence-ua.com/news/the_finnish_giatsint_b_gun_was_spotted_in_the_hands_of_the_ukrainian_forces_video-6388.html |access-date=31 December 2024 |work=Defense Express |date=13 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref> As of December 2024, Russia lost at least 53 guns while Ukraine lost 16, according to video and photographic evidence analyzed by ''Oryx''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Janovsky |first1=Jakub |last2=Naalsio |last3=Aloha |last4=Dan |last5=Kemal |last6=Alexander Black |title=Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment.html |website=Oryx |access-date=31 December 2024 |date=24 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Janovsky |first1=Jakub |last2=naalsio26 |last3=Aloha |last4=Dan |last5=Kemal |last6=Alexander |first6=Black |title=Attack On Europe: Documenting Ukrainian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-ukrainian.html |website=Oryx |access-date=31 December 2024 |date=24 February 2022}}</ref>

== Operators ==
[[File:2A36 operators.png|thumb|400px|A map of 2A36 operators in blue with former operators in red]]
[[File:2a36.jpg | thumb|An Armenian 2A36 in Yerevan]]

=== Current ===
* {{flag|Armenia}} − 26{{sfn|IISS2024a|page=178}}
* {{flag|Azerbaijan}} − 49{{sfn|IISS|2024a|page=180}}
* {{FIN}} − 24 designated as the 152 K-89.{{sfn|IISS|2024|page=89}} Unknown number of guns donated to Ukraine<ref>{{cite web |last1=Janovsky |first1=Jakub |last2=naalsio26 |last3=Aloha |last4=Dan |last5=Kemal |title=Joining NATO, Joining The Cause: Finnish Aid To Ukraine |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/09/joining-nato-joining-cause-finnish-aid.html |website=Oryx |access-date=1 February 2024 |date=5 September 2022}}</ref>
* {{flag|Georgia}} − 3{{sfn|IISS|2024a|page=185}}
* {{flag|Moldova}} − 20{{sfn|IISS|2024a|page=190}}
* {{RUS}} − 550 used by the Ground Forces, plus 50 used by the Naval Infantry, unknown number used by the Airborne Forces{{sfn|IISS|2024a|pages=193,199,201}}
* {{flag|Turkmenistan}} − 6{{sfn|IISS|2024a|page=209}}
* {{flag|Ukraine}} − 75 used by the Ground Forces, plus an unknown number used by the Naval Infantry{{sfn|IISS|2024a|pages=212−213}}
* {{UZB}} − 140{{sfn|IISS|2024a|page=216}}

=== Former ===

* {{flag|Artsakh}} − Seized by Azerbaijan after the [[2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mitzer |first1=Stijin |last2=Oliemans |first2=Joost |title=Documenting Equipment Losses During The September 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2023/09/documenting-equipment-losses-during.html |website=Oryx |access-date=7 October 2023}}</ref>
* {{BLR}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mitzer |first1=Stijn |last2=Oliemans |first2=Joost |title=Fading Into Oblivion: Belarus Fighting Vehicle List |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/11/fading-into-oblivion-belarus-fighting.html |website=Oryx |access-date=1 February 2024 |date=5 November 2022}}</ref> − 50{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}
* {{flagicon|Iraq|1963}} [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]] − 180<ref name="SIPRI" />
* {{KAZ}} − 180{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}
* {{LBN}} − 6<ref name="SIPRI" />
* {{flag|Soviet Union}}{{sfn|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995|pages=VI-7−VI-8}} – Passed on to successor states{{sfn|Foss|2011|page=972}}

== See also == 
* {{annotated link|M198 howitzer}}
* {{annotated link|2S5 Giatsint-S}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
<references />

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |editor1-last=Foss |editor1-first=Christopher F |title=Jane's Armour and Artillery 2011-2012 |date=2011 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |isbn=978-0-7106-2960-9 |edition=32nd |url=https://archive.org/details/janesarmourartil0000unse |language=en}}
*{{cite book |last1=Galeotti |first1=Mark |title=Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-3345-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XW90DwAAQBAJ |language=en |author1-link=Mark Galeotti}}
*{{cite journal |last1=[[International Institute for Strategic Studies]] |title=Chapter Three: Europe |journal=The Military Balance |date=12 February 2024 |volume=124 |issue=1 |pages=54-157 |doi=10.1080/04597222.2024.2298591 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/04597222.2024.2298591 |access-date=1 January 2025 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |issn=0459-7222 |ref={{SfnRef|IISS|2024}}|url-access=subscription }}
*{{cite journal |last1=[[International Institute for Strategic Studies]] |title=Chapter Four: Russia and Eurasia |journal=The Military Balance |date=12 February 2024 |volume=124 |issue=1 |pages=158-217 |doi=10.1080/04597222.2024.2298592 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/04597222.2024.2298592 |access-date=1 January 2025 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |issn=0459-7222 |ref={{SfnRef|IISS|2024a}}|url-access=subscription }}
*{{cite book |title=Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices: 1945-1995 |date=1995 |publisher=Marine Corps Intelligence Activity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XeM72t6oOZIC |language=en | ref={{SfnRef|Marine Corps Intelligence Activity|1995}}}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.enemyforces.com/artillery/giatsintb.htm EnemyForces.com 2A36 Giasint-B]
{{SovArtyColdWar}}

[[Category:152&nbsp;mm artillery]]
[[Category:Field artillery of the Cold War]]
[[Category:Artillery of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1970s]]