152mm artillery guns for the Russian Navy

On Friday June 03, the Head of the Research and Design Center at the Burevestnik Central Research Institute, Pavel Kovalev, launched the idea to arm Russian surface warships with the new Koalitsiya-SV artillery system. The 152mm Koalitsiya-SV artillery system currently exists as a self-propelled howitzer which will replace the 2S33 Msta-SM2 self-propelled artillery system currently in use with the Russian ground forces.

Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery

Specialists at the Burevestnik Institute claim that a standardized module can be used on both land vehicles and warships. It is important to note that the specialists are talking about a module, rather then the 152mm gun itself. This would mean that entire artillery system with its turret and loading mechanism would be used to equip naval warships. While at first glance, this might be a good idea, a more in depth look shows that the proposal is not feasible without major changes to the artillery system.

The Russian Navy currently operates the 100mm A-190 and the 130mm A-192 artillery systems on their corvettes and frigates. These gun calibers are already higher compared to NATO warships where the 76mm OTO Melara is the standard for corvettes and frigates, with destroyers tending to use 100mm and 127mm artillery systems. Russia is already using more powerful artillery systems on their corvettes and frigates which gives them an advantage over NATO warships. Upgrading to a 152mm artillery system will lead to an even bigger advantage and give the Russian corvettes and frigates the fire power which is traditionally found on board of cruisers.

A second positive note will be the reduction in military spending when warships use the 152mm Koalitsiya-SV artillery system. A singe artillery system for both the ground and naval forces will eliminate the need to produce and maintain the 100mm and 130mm naval artillery systems. Spare parts can be shared between the Army and Navy which results in a reduction in the amount of spare parts. Likewise, the amount of maintenance facilities can be decreased as naval gun systems can be maintained in facilities used by the ground forces. The amount of trained maintenance personnel can also be decreased as the use for 100mm and 130mm artillery specialists is no longer needed. 

Artillery systems used in navies have however different requirements compared to those used by the ground forces. These specific requirements mean that the 152mm Koalitsiya-SV artillery system in its current configuration is ill-suited for the needs of the Navy. The most important factor is the slow rate of fire of the Koalitsiya-SV, which is reported to be around 10 rounds per minute.

100mm AK-100 artillery system in surface on most Russian surface vessels

Naval artillery systems are not only used for shelling coastal targets and other warships, they also form an integral part of the ships air defenses. Armed with proximity fuses, the shells can be used to fire at incoming aircraft and missiles before the 30mm close in weapon systems have to come into action. As such, a high rate of fire of typically 70 to 90 rounds per minute is needed. The 76mm OTO Melara in its super-rapid configuration is even capable or reaching a rate of fire of 120 rounds per minute.

These high rates of fire can only be achieved when the projectile and its propellant are in the same shell. The 152mm Koalitsiya-SV artillery system most likely requires a double loading procedure whereby the projectile is loaded first, followed by the propellant. So in order to increase the rate of fire for the Koalitsiya-SV, a new shell will first need to be developed. Off course, by combining the projectile and the propellant in a single shell, one creates a longer object that needs to be loaded which results in a complete overhaul of the loading mechanism of the Koalitsiya-SV. In the end, these changes will create a completely new variant of the Koalitsiya-SV which uses different parts and requires a different knowledge to operate and maintain.

130mm AK-192 artillery system as used on Gorskov class frigates

Even if the Koalitsiya-SV would not be needed for the air defense role, the slow rate of fire would still make it an ill-suited weapon system on board of Russian warships. The Koalitsiya-SV is stated to have a firing range of 80 kilometres which means is higher then those of NATO warships. The 76mm OTO Melara has a firing range between 16 and 40 kilometers and Alreigh Burke class destroyers can use their gun systems at ranges up to 37 kilometers. Even though in the modern age very few combat scenarios develop where two hostile vessels are close enough to start shelling each other with their naval guns, the possibility still remains.

In theory, The Russian Navy could use the Koalitsiya-SV to start engaging enemy warships from twice the distance NATO warships can use their artillery guns. However, at these ranges, the ship will be firing over the horizon and at the edge of its effective radar range, making accurate targeting difficult without the use of drones and aircraft which are vulnerable to the air defense systems on board of NATO warships. Once the Russian warships get in range of NATO warships, they themselves are become outgunned as NATO warships can fire seven to nine times faster then the Russian warships armed with Koalitsiya-SV woud be and are thus inflicting more damage in the same amount of time.

Conclusion

The use of the 152mm Koalitsiya-SV artillery system on board of warships seems at first glance a good idea. It increases the firepower on board of the warships and leads to further standardization within the Russian armed forces which in turn decrease maintenance costs. It is essential for a cash strapped Russia to keep the costs of its armed forces down without compromising on its operational capabilities.

However, the low rate of fire is compromising the operational capabilities of the Russian Navy as it deprives them of a layer in their air defense capabilities. Things are even getting worse once one look deeper in the surface warfare capabilities. While the Koalitsiya-SV allows for engaging targets at 80 kilometres, difficulties in detecting and tracking targets at sea means that accuracy will suffer at that range. Once NATO warships are able to start firing back, the odds are even getting worse as NATO warships can fire seven to nine times faster and inflict more damage on Russian warships for each passing minute.

The only solution would be to redesign the Koalitsiya-SV into a rapid firing variant but this requires changes to the shells and loading mechanism. Such changes lead to a completely different type of gun system which offsets the purpose of switching to the Koalitsiya-SV in the first place.