Russians deploy rare artillery to counter advanced Ukrainian systems
Russians currently face enormous challenges with tube artillery. One of the few systems capable of competing in range with, among others, the Polish Krab using standard ammunition is the 2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzer. We present its performance and how the Ukrainians targeted it.
Russians are increasingly utilising North Korean Koksans, whose rate of fire and accuracy are very low. However, they can strike targets at distances over 30 kilometres. This is quite significant because Ukraine is receiving more and more artillery systems in the NATO 155 mm calibre version with a long barrel, which allows an effective range of 30 kilometres with the cheapest ammunition.
In contrast, for the Russians, 122 mm or most 152 mm calibre artillery can engage targets at a maximum range of about 19 kilometres. An exception is the 2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzer, of which there are few, making each one a valuable target.
In the video below, you can see that the Ukrainians deemed it valuable enough to deploy an Su-27 aircraft, which bombed its position along with a field stockpile of missiles using a pair of GBU-39 SDB glide bombs.
2A36 Hyacinth-B – special counter-battery howitzer of the USSR
The 152 mm calibre 2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzers were introduced into service in the USSR in the late 1970s as successors to the field guns M-46 of the 130 mm calibre from the Stalin era.
A key feature of the Hyacinth is its very long barrel, 49 calibres (nearly 8 metres) by Russian standards, which translates into a range of approximately 27-30 kilometres for basic ammunition or up to 40 kilometres for rounds with a rocket booster. All this with a rate of fire of up to six rounds per minute, which is incomparably better than North Korean Koksans, whose rate of fire is at most one round per minute.
These parameters allow the Hyacinth to engage in artillery duels with, for instance, Polish Krabs or German PzH 2000. The system appeared in a towed version as the 2A36 Hyacinth-B and a less numerous self-propelled version, the 2S5 Hyacinth-S.
GBU-39 SDB bombs — U.S. "featherweight" gliding bombs
The GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), introduced into service with the U.S. Air Force in 2006, is a precise gliding air bomb that can be considered "featherweight" compared to standard bombs weighing over 200 kg.
The SDB weighs only 120 kg and is 1.8 metres long, but its smaller destructive power is compensated by its precision, accurate to within several metres. Notably, the bomb has a 93 kg warhead with much greater destructive power than a conventional artillery shell containing at most 10 kg of explosive.
It's also noteworthy that the bomb can operate in several modes. One allows for detonation in the air, creating fragments capable of penetrating non-armoured or above-ground structures. Other modes include an impact explosion or delayed detonation with the ability to penetrate up to 89 centimetres of reinforced concrete.
The bomb has folding wings and, when released from a high altitude, can strike targets up to 111 kilometres away, protecting the aircraft from short-range anti-aircraft systems. An inertial and satellite navigation system or a seeker head homing on a reflected laser beam ensures target accuracy.
However, it is important to note that Russian electronic warfare systems have significantly reduced the precision of these bombs and other GPS-based weaponry in certain regions. Therefore, it's advisable to deploy a larger number of bombs, which is straightforward with the GBU-39 SDB due to the BRU-61/A dispensers. These can hold up to four units while using only one suspension point.
