2S3M

2S3M

2S1

SU-122-54

2S3M

2S1

SU-122-54

USSR

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.3	6.3	6.3

Class:

Tank destroyer

Research:35 000

Purchase:210 000

Description

The 2S3M ("Akatsiya") was a modernized version of the 2S3 self-propelled artillery. As the first of three modernization attempts, it featured a new 2A33 howitzer capable of loading more advanced ammunition, increasing its effective range, reliability, and accuracy. The 2S3M also incorporated a single mechanized ammunition rack, as opposed to the 2S3's two. This change allowed for an increase in the maximum ammunition capacity from 40 to 46 rounds. Even though the changes weren't significant, they were seen as a step in the right direction toward bringing Soviet artillery efficiency more in line with that of western nations. The 2S3M served as the main production model of the series and was widely deployed in the Soviet Union and its allies. Further efforts to extend the service life of the series were undertaken in the mid-1980s and early 2000s, resulting in the 2S3M1 and 2SM2 variants, respectively.

The 2S3M was introduced in Update "Winged Lions". In comparison to the SU tank destroyer series, it offers significantly different gameplay. Other than the obvious difference of not being a "casemate", it is very lightly armoured but highly mobile. Its cannon relies on the use of HE and HE-VT shells capable of disintegrating even the most heavily armoured tanks at its battle rating. The proxy shells are also sufficient against low flying aircraft, as they have a very capable fuse and a high explosive effect that can cause significant damage.

General info

Survivability and armour

Self-entrenching equipment

Creation of ramparts and trenches in soft ground

Armourfront / side / back

Hull30 / 15 / 15

Turret30 / 15 / 15

Crew4 people

Visibility94 %

The survivability of the 2S3M is extremely situational. Due to having absolutely no effective armour to stop any munition but small firearms such as 7.62 mm machine guns, it is very vulnerable to all damage. However, solid shots such as APCR, AP or APDS have a chance to go right through the armour without causing any damage whatsoever. The armour of the 2S3M can also partially stop artillery strikes fragmentation depending on the distance between the explosion and the platform. The best armour of the 2S3M is not to be seen. As a howitzer with a very potent weapon, it should be never stay stationary after firing, as this can disclose the location of the platform and be killed. The engine in the front of the hull can occasionally absorb some shots, allowing the 2S3M to fire back and disable the enemy.

Armour type:

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	15 mm (74°)	15 mm Top 15 mm Bottom	15 mm	10 - 15 mm
Turret	10 - 30 mm Turret front 20 mm Gun mantlet	15 mm	15 mm	10 - 15 mm
Cupola	10 mm	10 mm	10 mm	5 mm

Notes:

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB66 / 16 km/h

RB and SB60 / 15 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight27.5 t

Engine power

AB992 hp

RB and SB520 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB36.1 hp/t

RB and SB18.9 hp/t

The 2S3M, while not the fastest tank at its BR, is quite speedy and able to get to key positions before most of the enemy. It takes time to accelerate and brake due to the heavy weight of the main gun, but it reaches the top speed fairly easily. It holds a max speed of 60 km/h, which is fast for a tank at this battle rating, and it often reaches its top speed. As it is based on the SU-100P hull, it has a very decent turn rate and reverse speed, being able to reach up to -14 km/h while on reverse. It has a very capable cross-country capability and when track module is researched, along with a much better turn radius.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	66	16	27.5	739	992	26.87	36.07
Realistic	60	15		460	520	16.73	18.91

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 524 → 4 827

RB3 958 → 5 422

SB5 372 → 7 359

Total cost of modifications61 800

103 500

Talisman cost1 800

Crew training61 000

Experts210 000

Aces890

Research Aces570 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 200 / 250 %

178 / 178 / 178 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 200 145 Suspension Research: 2 800 Cost: 4 700 160 Brake System Research: 2 800 Cost: 4 700 160 Filters Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 200 180 Transmission Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 380 Engine Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 380	Improved Parts Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 200 145 Improved FPE Research: 2 800 Cost: 4 700 160 Crew Replenishment Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 200 180 Dozer Blade Research: 6 600 Cost: 11 000 380	Horizontal Drive Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 200 145 152mm_ussr_HEAT_ammo_pack Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 200 145 NVD Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 200 145 Adjustment of Fire Research: 2 800 Cost: 4 700 160 152mm_ussr_APHEBC_ammo_pack Research: 2 800 Cost: 4 700 160 Elevation Mechanism Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 200 180 152mm_ussr_HE_3OF25_ammo_pack Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 200 180 152mm_ussr_HE_VT_3OF25_ammo_pack Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 200 180

Armaments

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

152 mm 2A33 cannon

Ammunition46 rounds

First-order12 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

17.3 → 13.3 s

Vertical guidance-4° / 60°

The 2S3M has access to the 152 mm 2A33 howitzer, a very potent gun with a significant firepower at the cost of a long reload time. The performance of the gun is excellent, with a shell that has one of the highest amount of explosives at its rank. While it is slower in performance compared to the Type 75 SPH or the Bkan 1C, only going 655 m/s compared to the Bandkanon's 850 m/s and the Type 75's 750 m/s , it holds one of the most devastating rounds in game: the 3OF25. Holding more than 10 kg of TNT equivalent explosive mass, it is able to annihilate any lightly armoured ground vehicle with a direct hit anywhere and even the most protected vehicles can still be destroyed in one shot if aimed properly.

Additionally, the 2S3M also has the 3OF25 (PF) shell. This is a proximity-fused high-explosive shell which detonates automatically when it gets close to a tank or plane, which allows it to explode above the roof of an enemy vehicle, destroying it in a similar fashion to a top attack missile. However, it will detonate on any features of the map, be that a rock, a mound of dirt, or even the ground. This, combined with its trigger radius (from 1 to 3 m) makes it little effective for shooting down vehicles hiding just behind ridge lines or obstacles, but effective against planes. The proximity fuse arms past 300 m, against closer targets the fuse doesn't work and the shell will perform just like the standard 3OF25 shell.

152 mm 2A33					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	46	-4°/+60°	±180°	N/A	8.8	12.2	14.8	16.4	17.4	17.29	15.30	14.10	13.30
Realistic					6.0	7.0	8.5	9.4	10.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
OF-540	HE	49	49	49	49	49	49
BP-540	HEAT	250	250	250	250	250	250
BR-540B	APHEBC	171	169	160	150	141	133
3OF25	HE	62	62	62	62	62	62
3OF25 (PF)	HE-VT	62	62	62	62	62	62

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
OF-540	HE	655	43.56	0.3	0.1	5,860	79°	80°	81°
BP-540	HEAT	680	27.4	0.05	0.1	4,800	62°	69°	73°
BR-540B	APHEBC	600	48.96	1.2	19	739.2	48°	63°	71°
3OF25	HE	655	43.56	0.3	0.1	10,120	79°	80°	81°

Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Arming distance (m)	Trigger radius (m)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
									0%	50%	100%
3OF25 (PF)	HE-VT	655	43.56	0.3	0.1	300	3	10,120	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
46	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__

Notes:

• The 2S3M uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant charges (orange). Both have separate racks.
• Projectiles and propellant charges are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Hull empty: 13 (+33) shells.

Machine guns

7.62 mm PKT machine gun

Ammunition1 500 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate700 shots/min

The 2S3M is also equipped with a 7.62 mm machine gun, which is useful for clearing bushes and fences in the path of this tank's high explosive shell. The PKT machine gun is not very effective against any planes directly. It serves more to attract a plane's attention and secure an easy destruction with the proximity shell, rather than being used as a weapon itself.

7.62 mm PKT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,500 (250)	700	-6°/+15°	-160°/+155°

Usage in battles

The 2S3M should be used as a support gun, able to take down even the heaviest of targets with a single shot. Teammates should be supported with the power of this weapon as well as the variety of projectiles available to it. It is not to be played as a frontline vehicle due to the immense reload time and aiming of the weapon. However it is a very good guerilla combatant and skirmisher if used as a backup for frontline vehicles.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful HE shells can finish off anything with overpressure, like Panther II, Tiger II (H), M4A3E2 (76) W, etc.
• HEAT with a penetration of 250 mm is able to penetrate most tanks at the rank
• Has a variety of shell types to suit different preferences and situations: HE, HEAT, HE-VT, APHEBC
• HE-VT shell lets it take an anti-aircraft role and potentially harm lightly-armoured enemies behind cover
• Is turreted, allowing more flexible tactics
• -14 km/h reverse speed is good enough to retreat into cover
• Has a dozer blade to build a dirt cover

Cons:

• Thin armour, any weapon larger than a MG is threatening
• Poor -4° gun depression limits its ability in hilly terrains
• Long reload time
• Turret is huge with ready rack at the back, easy to get spotted and destroy with ammo rack detonation
• Slow turret steering speed

History

By 1964, NATO was equipped with the M109 self-propelled artillery. However, the Soviet army were still using artillery developed during WWII. During an exercise at Yavoriv military base, senior officials determined that the various types of artillery developed during World War II were not suitable for the war at that time. In order to make up for the technological gap with NATO countries, Resolution No. 609-201, issued by the Central Committee of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union on July 4, 1965, was finalized, starting the development plan for the new 152 mm self-propelled gun. In 1971, the Soviet Union passed the acceptance of the 2S3 self-propelled gun and began mass production.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the 2S3M from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #287 - Metal Beasts section at 01:04 discusses the 2S3M.

See also

• Type 75 SPH
• Bkan 1C

External links

• [Devblog] 2S3M : Hammer of the war god