Ukraine ramps up production of NATO-standard 2S22 Bogdana Howitzers
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that Ukraine can produce 20 2S22 Bogdana howitzers per month. We explore the performance of this howitzer, which shares similarities with the Polish Krab.
6:29 PM EST, November 3, 2024
After two years of testing in wartime conditions, Ukraine started serial production of the 2S22 Bogdana howitzer in April 2024. The monthly production, totaling 20 units, is considered impressive by Ukrainian standards.
It’s worth mentioning that the Bogdana is a relatively simple wheeled system based on a civilian truck, which greatly facilitates production compared to heavily armored self-propelled howitzers on tracked chassis, such as the AHS Krab or PzH-2000.
2S22 Bogdana — The first Ukrainian artillery produced to NATO standards
The 2S22 Bogdana howitzer is conceptually similar to the French CAESAR, being a 155 mm caliber gun with a barrel length of 52 calibers mounted on a truck chassis. Initially, it was based on a KrAZ-63221 truck, but the current model uses the Czech Tatra Phoenix 8x8, a well-known vehicle in the Ukrainian industry.
The current model features an armored cabin protected with slat armor to guard against Russian submunitions from cluster munitions and FPV drones with shaped charges.
The howitzer's operation relies on a semi-automatic loading system. This system requires only the projectile's extraction from the magazine and placement in a nearby feeder, eliminating the need for manual loading into the cannon. This system allows a firing rate of up to six shots per minute.
The Bogdana's effective range varies with the ammunition type. Standard DM121 shells have an effective range of up to 18 miles, while M549A1 rocket-assisted projectiles can hit targets as far as 37 miles. Optionally, the system can use guided M982 Excalibur shells, which reach over 31 miles, though they have become nearly ineffective due to GPS jammers.
The Ukrainian howitzer can also fire in MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) mode, where projectiles reach the target simultaneously, maximizing the destructive effect. This functionality gives the system a clear advantage over Russian 122 mm and 152 mm artillery regarding range, precision, and firepower.
