OVERVIEW: The 2A36 Giatsint-B (Russian for Hyacinth) is a Soviet towed long-range 152mm gun.

DETAILS: The 2A36 towed 152mm gun was first seen by the West in 1976. It was developed along with the self-propelled version 2S5 to provide long range fire support. The 2A36 was particularly suited for counterbattery fire due to its long range. A 49 caliber length barrel was standard issue but there were some 2A36 fitted with a 54 caliber length barrel (8.2m long, nearly 27 feet). The 2A36 did not fire the same ammunition as the D-20 or 2S3, and although it is the same caliber weapon as the D-20 and 2S3, its standard HE-Frag round was slightly heavier. The 2A36 was also equipped with a two-axle carriage and a hydro-pneumatic loading assist mechanism to ram the projectile into the breech. The gun is large and heavy (nearly 10 tons) but can still be manhandled by its 8-man crew and is capable of firing six rounds per minute. Standard ammunition is a 46kg HE-Fragmentation round with a range of 27,000m (14.5nm), smoke, illumination, anti-tank, and chemical. Also available is a low-yield nuclear round (up to 2kt) and "cargo shells" which can deploy DPICM submunitions, scatterable mines, leaflets, and active & passive communications jammers. An extended range Rocket Assisted Projectile (RAP) HE-Frag round is also used, giving the gun a range of 40,000m (21.5nm).  

NOTES: The 2A36 replaced the M-46 130mm gun in the gun battalions of the Army artillery brigade and Front level artillery division and provided a significant increase in performance over the M-46. Unlike most Soviet weapons, the 2A36 was rarely exported (Finland, Iraq, and Lebanon being the notable few operators), although it does serve in some of the republics of the former USSR. 

SOURCES: FM 100-2-3. Washington D.C.: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 1991 ; Weaponsystems.net. "2A36" Accessed November 17, 2013. http://www.weaponsystems.net/weapon.php?weapon=DD03%20-%202A36.