152 mm howitzer 2A65 The 2A65 " Msta - B " is a Soviet towed 152 mm howitzer . The " B " in the designation is an abbreviation for " Buksiruemyi " , or towed . This weapon has been fielded in Russian forces since at least 1987 and is currently in service with Russian front and army level artillery units . The 2A65 howitzer , like many pieces of modern artillery , is capable of firing nuclear artillery shells . Development . In addition to the towed 152 mm 2A36 gun covered in detail in a separate entry , Russia also deployed a new 152 mm towed howitzer , designated the 2A65 , which was allocated the NATO designation of the M1987 . This was the year that the weapon was first identified by Western intelligence . According to United Nations sources there were no exports of this weapon between 1992 and 2006 . The 152 mm 2A65 is also referred to as the MSTA - B and the weapon forms the main armament of the 152 mm self - propelled artillery system , the 2S19 , which is also referred to as the MSTA - S . Full details of the latter are given in a separate entry . In the designation MSTA - B the latter stands for Buksiruemyi , or towed . Description . The 152 mm howitzer 2A65 ( M1987 ) is mounted on a conventional split trail carriage and , when deployed in the firing position , rests on three points , the hydraulic circular firing jack under the forward part of the carriage and the two spades at the rear . Each of the box section trails has a castor wheel to assist the gun crew in bringing the weapon into action . When deployed in the firing position , these swing upwards through 180° and rest on top of each trail . The 152 mm ordnance is fitted with a muzzle brake and a semi - automatic breech mechanism , spring - operated ramming system , hydraulic counter - recoil device and a liquid - cooled recoil brake . Elevation and traverse is manual , two - speed , with the direct and indirect sighting devices being located on the left side of the weapon . Pneumatic brakes are fitted as standard . The gun fires the same 152 mm ammunition types as the 152 mm 2S19 self - propelled artillery system and , more recently , a new family of separate loading ( for example projectile and charge ) 152 mm has been introduced . The standard OF45 high - explosive projectile weighs 43 . 56 kilograms , has a maximum muzzle velocity of 823 meters per second and a maximum range of 24 . 7 km . The charges include OF72 ( long range ) , OF58 ( full charge ) and OF73 ( reduced charge ) . The OF45 projectile can be fitted with different rear ends , for example various types of screw - on boat tails , or the OF61 base bleed projectile which weighs 42 . 86 kilograms , has a maximum muzzle velocity of 828 m / s and a maximum range of 29 km . The OF23 cargo projectile weighs 42 . 8 kg , has a maximum range of 26 kilometers and contains 42 High - Explosive Anti - Tank ( HEAT ) bomblets , each of which can penetrate 100 millimeters of conventional steel armour . Other types of projectile include the HS30 jamming round and the Russian 152 mm Krasnopol laser - guided projectile , which is covered in the entry for the 2S19 self - propelled artillery system . A 155 mm version of this system has been developed but as far as it is known this has not been exported . China has developed a new 155 mm / 52 calibre SP artillery system called the PLZ52 . This has a turret very similar to the 2S19 . In addition to these new 152 mm projectiles the 2A65 can fire all standard types of 152 mm ammunition fired by the older Russian D - 20 towed gun - howitzer and the 2S3 self - propelled gun - howitzer . The howitzer is towed by either the KrAZ - 260 6x6 truck or the Ural 4320 6x6 truck . The gun consists of a distinctive four - wheeled carriage , and has an armored shield that slopes to the rear and extends over the wheels . It has been fielded since 1978 and first deployed by Soviet forces in Eastern Europe . The 2A65 is deployed with the 9th Artillery Brigade in Luga , the 288th Artillery Brigade in Inzhenernyy , and the 291st Artillery Brigade in Maikop , as well as being stored in Perm and near Novgorod . It is also in service with other units in other Russian military districts . The total number of active 2A65 howitzers in Russian service is estimated at 370 . The 2A65 is also in service with the 11th Artillery Brigade in Ternopil and the 55th Artillery Brigade in Zaporizhya . A self - propelled version , the 2S19 " Msta - S " , is produced .