What is ACS? Self-propelled artillery system: classification, purpose

Self-propelled artillery units (ACS) are called combat vehicles, which are nothing more than an artillery gun mounted on self-propelled chassis. In everyday life they are sometimes called self-propelled guns or arthro-robots. In this article we will understand what ACS is, where they are used, how they are classified and how they differ from other types of weapons.

Summary

So, what is ACS? In a broad sense, all combat vehicles that are armed with guns can be considered as ACS. However, in a narrow sense, only machines that are armed with cannons or howitzers, but are not tanks or armored cars, belong to the ACS.

Types of ACS are diverse, as well as the scope of their application. They can have a wheeled or tracked chassis, be protected or not protected by armor, have a fixed or tower mount of the main gun. Many self-propelled artillery systems in the world, equipped with a tower system, resemble tanks in outward appearance. However, they differ significantly from the tanks for tactical use and the balance of armor-armament.

The self-propelled artillery unit (SAU) began its history approximately the same time as the first cannon armored vehicles, in the early 20th century. Moreover, from the point of view of modern military science, the first French tanks were rather analogous to later ACSs, rather than tanks. In the middle and second half of the twentieth century in the leading states, the period of rapid development of all self-propelled artillery installations came.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, thanks to the impressive leap of military science, the SAU, according to many experts, began to claim the primacy among other armored vehicles. Previously, it certainly belonged to tanks. The role of ACS in the conditions of a modern military battle is growing every year.

History of development

On the battlefield of the First World War, self-propelled units built on the basis of trucks, tractors or crawler chassis were used. Later, with the development of tanks, the engineers realized that the tank base is best suited for mounting powerful artillery systems. The guns on the unarmored chassis were also not forgotten, because they were famous for their great mobility.

In Russia, the first armored automatic control system was offered by the son of DI Mendeleyev-VD Mendeleyev. During the First World War and the Civil War, 72-mm Lenders were actively used, built on the basis of the Rousseau-Balt truck. The cabins of some of them were even partially reserved. In the 1920s, the USSR, Germany and the USA were engaged in the development of automatic control systems, but most of the projects were no more than surrogate installations.

When the Soviet Union and Germany began to actively develop their tank forces, it became possible to mount massively on the tank chassis artillery installations. So, in the USSR on the basis of tanks T-35 and T-28 the prototype SAU SU-14 was created. In Germany, the old tanks Pz Kpfw I.

The Second World War required the use of all the resources of the participants. Germany massively produced automatic control systems based on old and captured tanks. On the basis of their own machines they made simpler and cheaper installations. The history includes such German samples: StuG III, and StuG IV, Hummel and Wespe, the self-propelled artillery installation "Ferdinand" (the so-called fighters of the tanks Hetzer and Elefant) and some others. Since the end of 1944, the production of automatic control systems in Germany has exceeded the production of tanks by volume.

The Red Army began to fight without serial self-propelled artillery. Production of the only self-propelled howitzer SU-5 was stopped as far back as 1937. But already in July 1941 appeared SAU ZiS-30 surrogate type. And in the following year the assault guns of the SU-122 model came off the assembly line. Later, in contrast to the German heavy armored vehicles appeared famous SU-100 and ISU-152.

Engineers of England and America focused their efforts mainly on the production of self-propelled howitzers. So there were models: Sexton, Bishop, M12, and M7 Priest.

Due to the development of the main battle tanks, the need for the use of assault guns has disappeared. Rocket anti-tank systems along with combat helicopters can quite successfully replace anti-tank ACS. But howitzers and anti-aircraft installations are developing to this day.

As the ACS developed, the scope of their application grew, and the classification expanded. Let us consider the types of self-propelled artillery installations that are on display in military science today.

Tank Fighters

As can be understood from the title, such combat vehicles specialize in the destruction of armored vehicles. As a rule, they receive as weapons long-barreled semi-automatic guns with a caliber from 57 to 100 mm with a unitary method of charging, which makes it possible to achieve a high rate of fire. Heavy tank destroyers, designed to deal with similar machine-made enemy and heavy tanks, can be armed with long-barreled guns with a separate charge, the caliber of which reaches 155 mm. Installations of this class are ineffective against fortifications and infantry. The leap in development they received during the Second World War. Typical representatives of tank fighters of the time are the Soviet SAU SU-100 model and the German "Yagdpantera". At present, the installations of this class have given way to rocket anti-tank systems and combat helicopters, which are much more effective in dealing with tanks.

Assault guns

They represent armored vehicles for the fire support of tanks and infantry. ACS of this type are armed with large-caliber (105-203 mm) short-barreled or long-barreled guns, which without any damage affect the fortified positions of the infantry. In addition, assault guns could be effectively used against tanks. This type of automatic control system, as well as the last, actively developed during the Second World War. Striking examples of German assault self-propelled guns were StuG III, StuG H42 and Brummbar. Among the Soviet cars were distinguished: Su-122 and Su-152. After the war, the development of the main battle tanks led to the fact that they began to arm large-caliber weapons capable of hitting enemy fortifications and unarmored targets without problems. Thus, the need for the use of assault weapons disappeared.

Self-propelled howitzers

They are mobile guns for fire from closed positions. In fact, it is a self-propelled analog of towed artillery. These automatic control systems were armed with artillery systems from 75 to 406 millimeters in caliber. They had a light anti-fragmentation reservation, which was protected only by counterbattery fire. From the very beginning of the development of self-propelled artillery self-propelled howitzers developed. Large-caliber cannons, together with high mobility and modern positioning systems, make this type of weapon one of the most effective to this day.

Self-propelled howitzers with a caliber greater than 152 millimeters became especially popular. They can strike at the enemy with nuclear munitions, which makes it possible to destroy large objects and entire groups of troops with a small number of shots. During the Second World War, German cars Wespe and Hummel, American howitzers M7 (Priest) and M12, as well as British SAU Sexton and Bishop became famous. The USSR tried to establish the production of such cars (the Su-5 model) as early as the 1940s, but this attempt was unsuccessful. Today, the modern Russian army has one of the best self-propelled howitzers in the world - 2S19 Msta-S with a caliber of 152 mm. In the armies of NATO countries, its alternative is the 155 mm SAU Paladin.

Anti-tank

The ACS of this class are semi-open or open vehicles armed with anti-tank weapons. Usually they are built on the basis of lightly armored tank chassis, which are already obsolete for their direct destination. Such machines were distinguished by a good combination of price and efficiency and were produced in rather large volumes. At the same time, they nevertheless lost in fighting characteristics to machines of narrower specialization. A good example of the anti-tank warfare of the Second World War are the German Marder II and the domestic SU-76M. As a rule, such installations were equipped with small- or medium-caliber guns. However, sometimes there were more powerful versions, for example, German Nashorn with a caliber of 128 mm. In modern army such units do not use.

Anti-aircraft systems

These are specialized cannon-machine-gun installations, whose mission is to defeat low-flying and medium-altitude aircraft, as well as enemy helicopters. Usually they were armed with small-caliber automatic cannons (20-40 mm) and / or machine guns of large caliber (12.7-14.5 mm). An important element of antiaircraft installations was the guidance system for flying targets. Sometimes they were additionally armed with surface-to-air missiles. In city battles and in cases when it is necessary to withstand a large mass of infantry, the anti-aircraft installations showed themselves as well as possible. During the Second World War, German anti-aircraft installations Wirbelwind and Ostwind, as well as Soviet ZSU-37, were particularly distinguished. The modern Russian army has two ZSUs in service: 23-4 (Shilka) and Tunguska.

Surrogate

They are improvised fighting vehicles, designed on the basis of commercial trucks, artillery tractors or tractors. Reservation for surrogate automatic control systems, as a rule, was absent. Among the domestic installations of this class, the 57-millimeter anti-tank self-propelled combat vehicle ZiS-30, built on the basis of the Komsomolets caterpillar artillery tractor, spread. The most widely surrogate machines used Nazi Germany and fascist Italy because of the lack of other armored vehicles.

A typical self-propelled artillery installation of the USSR successfully combined the functions of several classes at once. A clear example of this was the ISU-152 model. The Germans adhered to the strategy of creating highly specialized ACS. As a consequence, some German installations were the best in their classes.

Tactics of use

Understanding what ACS is and what they are, let's find out how they are used in practice. The main task of the self-propelled artillery installation on the battlefield is to support other kinds of troops with artillery fire from closed positions. Due to the fact that the SAU have high mobility, they can accompany the tanks during breakthroughs through the enemy's defense line, greatly increasing the combat capabilities of tank and motorized infantry.

High mobility also gives self-propelled artillery the ability to independently attack the enemy. To do this, all shooting parameters are calculated in advance. Then the SAU go to the firing position and without firing a massive attack on the enemy. After that, they quickly leave the firing line, and by the time the enemy calculates a place for a retaliatory strike, the positions will be empty.

If enemy tanks and motorized infantry break through the line of defense, self-propelled artillery can act as a successful anti-tank weapon. To do this, some models of ACS receive special ammunition in their ammunition.

In recent years, self-propelled artillery has been used to destroy snipers, who are hiding in places unsuitable for attack by other fire facilities.

Single self-propelled artillery units, armed with nuclear weapons, can destroy large objects, fortified settlements, as well as places of congestion of enemy troops. At the same time, the SAU's nuclear missiles are almost impossible to intercept. At the same time, the radius of possible targets hit by artillery ammunition is less than that of aviation or tactical missiles, as well as the power of the explosion.

Layout

The most common to date self-propelled machines are usually built on the basis of tank chassis or lightly armored caterpillar vehicles. In both cases, the arrangement of assemblies and assemblies is similar. Unlike tanks, the turret mounted ASU is located in the rear of the armored body, and not in the middle. So the process of supplying ammunition from the ground is greatly facilitated. The engine-transmission group, respectively, is located in the front and middle part of the hull. Due to the fact that the transmission is located in the bow, it is advisable that the front wheels are leading. However, in modern automatic control systems there is a tendency to use a rear drive.

The control department, it is also the driver's workplace, is located near the gearbox in the center of the car or closer to its port side. The motor is located between the driver's mechanic and the combat compartment. The combat compartment includes ammunition and guiding devices.

In addition to the described variant of the arrangement of units and assemblies, the ZSU can be arranged according to the tank model. Sometimes they even represent a tank, the standard tower of which is replaced by a special tower with a quick-firing gun and equipment for guidance. Here we are with you and learned what is the ACS.