2S22 Bohdana

The 2S22 Bohdana is a 155 mm NATO-standard caliber, wheeled self-propelled howitzer developed in Ukraine. Its prototype is mounted on the chassis of the Ukrainian six-wheel-drive KrAZ-6322 truck. It has an armoured cabin and storage for 20 shells. The howitzer has a minimum range of 780 meters, and a maximum range of 42 km, or 50 km with a rocket-assisted projectile. It is capable of firing M982 Excalibur shells and it can fire 5 rounds per minute.

History

The howitzer underwent live fire tests in 2018. Its first public display was in the Kyiv Independence Day Parade on 24 August 2018. Test firings were conducted at the Shyrokyi Lan training ground in May 2021. Further test firings were carried out at a range in Odesa Oblast in December 2021 and January 2022, where 450 shots were fired at a range of 42 km, greater than the manufacturer's specification of 40 km.

According to then Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the 2S22 entered full production in January 2023 and the first units were scheduled for delivery over the following months.

In December 2023, it was reported by Eсonomichna Pravda that the Ukrainian Ground Forces already received around 30 Bohdanas, and that a towed version was under development.

Russo-Ukrainian War

On 25 February 2022, at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Bohdana's manufacturers were ordered to destroy the sole prototype, to prevent the Russians from capturing it. However, it was able to be moved away from the Russians and handed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On 7 May 2022 Forbes reported that the prototype had been deployed at the front and was firing at Russian targets.

In June 2022 Ukrainian forces on the mainland of Ukraine reportedly used the 2S22 Bohdana to shell Russian forces on Snake Island, which is 35 km from the mainland. This along with strikes from other artillery systems as well as drones led to the withdrawal of Russian forces from the island on 30 June.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said at the beginning of 2023 that serial mass production of an improved Bohdana had started. The improved version includes the replacement of the KrAZ-6322 chassis with a KrAZ or MAN 6x6 chassis, or a Tatra 817 8x8 chassis. In July 2023, a video showing the 57th Motorized Brigade operating at least two pre-production Bohdanas mounted on the MAZ-6317 chassis (with the original Russian engines replaced with Chinese engines) was published. The 2S22 Bohdana was officially adopted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on 21 July 2023. Two days later, an improved Bohdana mounted on the Tatra 815-7 8x8 chassis was reported as being in service with the 1st Special Purpose Brigade. Militarnyi reports that the Tatra 815-7 trucks had likely been bought to be used as chassis for the Burevyi multiple rocket launcher, which ran out of ammunition during the first year of the Russian invasion.

In late November, images of an updated version of Bohdana were published on social media, showing the howitzer fitted with an autoloader, which it previously lacked—a hallmark of other cutting-edge self-propelled howitzers.

According to the Oryx blog, one 2S22 Bohdana was damaged and another three were destroyed as of 19 May 2024.

Production

Ten Bohdanas are being produced on a monthly basis and the rate of production is expected to increase in May 2024.

See also

• Archer – Swedish 155 mm self-propelled howitzerPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• ATMOS 2000 – Israeli 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
• A-222 Bereg – Russian self-propelled coastal defense gunPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• CAESAR – French 155 mm artillery
• 152mm SpGH DANA – Czechoslovak self-propelled howitzerPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• G6 Rhino – South African 155 mm self-propelled artilleryPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• AHS Kryl – Polish 155 mm self-propelled wheeled gun-howitzer
• Nora B-52 – Serbian 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
• PCL-09 – Chinese 122 mm self-propelled howitzer
• PCL-161 – Chinese 122 mm self-propelled howitzer
• PCL-181 – Chinese 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
• PLL-09 – (China) - 122 mm or 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
• Type 19 155 mm Wheeled Self-propelled Howitzer – Japanese artillery
• 155 mm SpGH Zuzana – Slovak self-propelled gun-howitzer

References

1. Bohdana
2. Type 19 155 mm Wheeled Self-propelled Howitzer
3. AHS Kryl
4. ATMOS 2000
5. List of wheeled self-propelled howitzers
6. Tatra 815-7
7. G6 howitzer
8. A-222 Bereg (artillery system)
9. Czechoslovak Group
10. EVA (howitzer)
11. 155 mm caliber
12. Archer artillery system
13. Nora B-52
14. List of armoured fighting vehicles of Ukraine
15. CAESAR self-propelled howitzer
16. Rocket Forces and Artillery (Ukraine)
17. 152 mm SpGH DANA
18. Defense industry of Ukraine
19. Kharkiv Tractor Plant
20. List of equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine