The 2S7 Pion is based on a T-80 chassis with a 2A44 203 mm gun mounted on the rear of the hull.
A 2S7 complex weighing up to 46.5 tons. It is 10.5m long, 3.38m wide, and 3m high. Its armor protects the crew from light firepower and shell fragments.
The 2S7 carries a crew of fourteen; seven are carried by the Pion and seven are with an auxiliary vehicle. The system carries four rounds of ammunition; four more rounds are carried by the support vehicle. Due to the long range, the crew can fire one or two rounds and leave position before the first round hits the enemy position over 40 km away. This makes the 2S7 less susceptible to counter-battery fire, from an enemy with a counter-battery radar.
The 2S7 is powered by a V-46-I V12 turbocharged diesel engine, with 840 horsepower. It can reach a maximum road speed of 50 km/h, a range of 650 km. Its torsion bar suspension is retained from the T-80. 2S7 can cross obstacles 1.2 m high and 2.5 m wide trench.
The main weapon of the 2S7 Pion is a 203 mm 2A44 gun. The mounting hardware allowed an inherent traversal of 15-degrees to the right or left before the entire vehicle needed to be turned into the direction of desired fire. Its elevation span was from 0 to +60 degrees. Prior to firing, a large spade located at the rear of the hull was lowered to brace the vehicle for the impact of recoil forces to follow.
In Ukraine, for a long time these self-propelled artillerys were in reserve, but by the end of 2014, they were back in service after going through maintenance. It is estimated that there are currently 36 such combat vehicles in operation for two battalions of the 43rd artillery brigade. Their danger lies in their ability to hit many different targets with extremely destructive projectiles.
Along with tactical ballistic missile systems or multi-barrel launchers, the 2S7 Pion self-propelled artillery is considered a nightmare of Eastern separatist forces. 2S7 is especially scary because it is out of range of the enemy’s weapons, so when attacked by this weapon, they have no chance to counterattack.
