Oleksandr, a communications officer of the 40th Separate Artillery Brigade named after Grand Duke Vytautas, told Army FM why, among dozens of systems, the domestically produced SPG ‘Bohdana’ has become one of the most sought-after.

— Over the past four years we have worked on various systems — both foreign and our own. At the moment we are working on systems that everyone has probably heard of and knows — the ‘Bohdanas’. The ‘Bohdana’ has proven itself in the most impressive way. Why? First, it is our own equipment, so when it comes to repairs, it can be fixed very quickly and easily by our own people. Second, it fires 155 mm NATO-standard ammunition, — he said.

The barrels and key components of the ‘Bohdana’ are manufactured by the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine-Tool Plant in cooperation with several defense enterprises. This means that once a barrel’s service life is exhausted, it does not need to be sent abroad for a major overhaul: replacement and maintenance can be carried out on-site without weeks-long downtime for the combat vehicle. And the 155 mm caliber, standard for NATO armies, provides access to a vast range of Western-produced ammunition — unlike the Soviet 152 mm caliber.

According to artillerymen, it is precisely the firing accuracy that has become the ‘Bohdana’s’ main trump card in artillery duels with the enemy.

— The guys say it is extremely accurate: it takes two initial rounds to zero in, and the third shot already hits the target. Compared to the aggressor, they need 7–10 rounds, — the serviceman explained.

Technical specifications of the 2S22 ‘Bohdana’ SPG:

  • Caliber — 155 mm, barrel length — 52 calibers
  • Range — up to 40–42 km, with the M982 Excalibur guided round — up to 60 km
  • Rate of fire — 4–6 rounds per minute
  • Ammunition load — up to 20 rounds
  • Crew — 5 personnel
  • Chassis — wheeled platforms KrAZ-63221, MAZ-6317, or Tatra 815-7 (depending on modification)
  • Road speed — up to 80 km/h on highways
  • Range of travel — up to 700–800 km
  • Gun elevation angles — from −5° to +65° vertically, ±30° horizontally

However, Oleksandr sees the main advantage of Ukrainian artillerymen in their ability to quickly switch between systems.

— The key to this is adaptability and the ability — you know, as they say — ‘adapt or die’. That’s exactly how it is. Because today you might be working on a system like the M777 — the American ‘triple sevens’. Tomorrow you have the ‘Bohdana’, the day after — the SPG ‘Bohdana’. And these are completely different systems. If you can adapt, switch between all of them as quickly and correctly as possible, then you will keep working. So adaptability is probably the most important thing every artilleryman needs right now, — Oleksandr concluded.