2S6
Contents
Description
The SPAA 2S6 "Tunguska" [Зенитный ракетно-пушечный комплекс](GRAU: 2K22; NATO codename: SA-19 "Grison") is one of the composition of Soviet and Russia's field air-defense system as the direct replacement of ZSU-23-4 which was not capable to handle late-Cold War attackers (both fixed-wing and helicopters). As the conclusion that larger calibre autocannon can achieve higher kill probability against jets, Soviet Army also seek for a combined system with missile onboard as well; although the development started as early as 1970, due to the introduction of new missile systems with better range, the development was slowed down until the conclusion from Arab-Israeli War was drawn that gun systems have better reaction time than sole-missile systems (due to the warm-up process of both radar and missiles). Eventually the joint efforts of different Soviet designers was fruited in 1982 as the 2K22 (while the mobile battery itself is named 2S6) and eventually joined the Army in 1984 as another composition of the short-range defense layer alongside with ZSU-23-4, SA-10 Strela-10M2 and SA-8 Osa. The vehicle also received upgrades during its production and likely inspired later systems like 96K6 Pantsir-S1 with more advanced electronics and missile system.
Introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On" as the newcomer of Soviet tech-tree, 2S6 not only has twin double-barrel, Gast principle 30 mm autocannons to swat aerial targets or hunting down ground vehicles showing their sides, it also has eight 9M311 missiles at its disposal to finish off long-range or high-altitude targets before they can do extensive damage to teammates. Although players will have to get used to the fixed optical channel with high magnification and its rather large size, players can certainly enjoy devastating enemies with such firepower while clearing the skies for allies to deliver supports.
General info
Survivability and armour
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 9 mm | 9 mm Top 9 mm Bottom |
9 mm | 9 mm |
| Turret | 9 - 15 mm Turret front 10 mm Gun mantlet |
9 - 8 mm | 9 mm | 9 mm |
| Cupola | 9 mm | 9 mm | 9 mm | 9 mm |
Notes:
The ZPRK 2S6 armour consists of 9 mm rolled homogeneous plates for the hull and turret. Although mostly flat surfaces, its armour can be angled to provide an average of 30mm of effective thickness which can protect against .50 cal machine guns in most places of the hull. The turret is extremely vulnerable to all types of fire at any angle.
The crew consists of a commander, gunner, loader, and driver. Three out of the four crew members are situated in the turret sitting right next to each other. This makes the ZPRK 2S6 extremely prone to destroyed by "crew knocked out" if hit in the turret.
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 71 | 71 | 34.6 | 1,008 | 1,355 | 29.13 | 39.16 |
| Realistic | 65 | 65 | 628 | 710 | 18.15 | 20.52 | |
The 2S6 provides good mobility with its 710 horsepower ChTZ V-46-2s1 engine allowing for a max speed of 65 km/h in ideal conditions. Under realistic testing conditions it tops around 37 km/h in flat grassy areas. This is the same with its reverse speed.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The module 2S6M1 unlockable after the module NVD will switch NVD in the gun sight with Thermal gun sight, this makes it better to be able to spot enemy aircraft at longer ranges.
Armaments
Main armament
| 30 mm 2A38/2A38M1 (x4) | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 1,936 (484) | 1,250 | -9°/+85° | ±180° | Two-plane | 70.4 | 97.5 | 118.4 | 130.9 | 139.3 | 5.20 | 4.60 | 4.24 | 4.00 |
| Realistic | 47.6 | 56.0 | 68.0 | 75.2 | 80.0 | |||||||||
Ammunition
- Default: AP-T · HEF-I*
- 30 mm HE: HEF-I* · HEF-T* · HEF-I* · AP-T
- 30 mm APT: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEF-I*
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| HEF-I* | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| AP-T | 65 | 63 | 53 | 44 | 36 | 29 | |
| HEF-T* | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| HEF-I* | 960 | 0.39 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 75.46 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
| AP-T | 970 | 0.4 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | ||||
| HEF-T* | 960 | 0.39 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 17.86 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 (+1) | No |
Additional armament
| 9M311 or 9M311-1M missile | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer |
| 8 | 0°/+85° | N/A | N/A |
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| 9M311 | SAM | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 |
| Missile details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Range (m) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| 9M311 | SAM | 910 | 8,000 | 41.6 | 0 | 0.1 | 300 | 5 | 4.62 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| 9M311-1M | SAM | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 |
| Missile details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Range (m) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| 9M311-1M | SAM | 910 | 10,000 | 41.6 | 0 | 0.1 | 300 | 5 | 4.62 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Radars
The ZPRK 2S6 Tunguska is equipped with a 1RL144 search and separate tracking radar; with the search radar mounted on top of the turret at the rear and the tracking radar located at the front of the the turret. The radar system is capable of tracking a target while scanning, but can only track targets within a 180° arc from the front of the turret.
| 1RL144 - Target Detection Radar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Detection Range |
Minimum Detection Range |
Max Azimuth Scan Angle |
Max Elevation Scan Angle |
Minimum relative speed |
| 20,000 m | 500 m | 360° | 15° | 10 m/s (36 km/h) |
| 1RL144 - Target Tracking Radar | ||||
| Maximum Tracking Range |
Minimum Tracking Range |
Azimuth Tracking Angle |
Elevation Tracking Angle |
Minimum target speed |
| 16,000 m | 75 m | ±90° | -15°/+87° | 15 m/s (54 km/h) |
Usage in battles
The ZPRK 2S6 Tunguska can excel in many different ways. Traditionally it can take down aircraft with ease no matter how far or how close they may be with its excellent combined power of the very fast firing quad 30 mm autocannons and the highly agile SAMs it has in its disposal. The SAMs are very fast and extremely agile, with the assistance of tracking and enough experience they can be almost virtually impossible to evade, even by the fastest and most agile aircraft. Each of the eight missiles is mounted on its own launch tube, which means you can launch one after the other without waiting for another one to reload, such as in systems like the Roland 1 and FlaRakRad. They also have a long range of 8 km stock, and 10 km with the 2S6M1 modification installed, which is enough to hit any helicopters hovering at the edge of their Air-to-Ground missile ranges. However, some vehicles can prove very challenging to take down, particularly those equipped with radar warning and missile alert systems, as they can quickly take evasive actions or hide behind terrain to prevent them from being hit.
If needed, the Tunguska can be an excellent flanking or support vehicle by ripping apart enemy gun barrels or tracks which would disable them for your allies to finish off. Of course with the AP-T belt, the Tunguska can rip apart enemy tanks/MBTs from the side or rear with relatively good shrapnel (for a 30 mm) and range (as it is an AP-T belt). This makes the Tunguska very versatile in combat despite being labelled as an SPAAG. However, it's best to keep in mind that you have very little armour and you are a relatively large target which means you are very fragile in direct combat/brawls especially with artillery around you. So being careful and selective of how you should play during a specific time is essential.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Exceptional mobility for a Soviet Vehicle
- 569A transmission enables for neutral steering and reversed gearbox
- 65 km/h top speed, can keep up with the main forces
- Devastating firepower
- Twin dual-barrel 2A38 30 mm autocannon for maximum firepower against intended targets
- Eight 9M311 series missiles for long-range interception
- Generous ammo count
- Sufficient FCS for its tier
- Fast turret traverse for changing targets swiftly
- 20 km search and track radar for early warning
- Opto-electronic tracker for low-altitude stationary targets
- 2S6M upgrade brings in TVD camera for the gunner channel
Cons:
- Easily recognizable from both the firing sound and abundance of tracers
- Armor only rated for rifle-calibre weapons
- Rather large size for a gun-missile combined system
- 9M331 series have rather low overload at its tier for maneuvering targets
- Somewhat outdated FCS
- Lacks rangefinder and leading indicator for the opto-electronic tracker
- Lacks missile leading modes
- Fixed 8x optic channel making close-range combats difficult
History
Although the ZSU-23-4 Shilka had successfully proven its capabilities in the numerous conflicts it took part in, its shortcomings were ever increasingly coming to light as well. While faster and more capable aircraft and helicopters were being developed, the Shilka was quickly becoming obsolete, with its very short engagement range and radar detection limiting its AA capabilities greatly.
Thus, in 1970, Soviet engineers began developing a replacement for the venerable Shilka. The new vehicle, codenamed "Tunguska", was designed with a pair of 30 mm autocannons coupled to advanced tracking and targeting systems. In addition, the decision was made to also install surface-to-air guided missiles, as the targeting systems for both cannons and missiles turned out to be conveniently very similar, and was expected to greatly bolster the capabilities of the Tunguska.
By 1973, the Tunguska was considered ready. In the mid '70s, however, with the introduction of a Soviet mobile missile-only AA unit, which performed a similar role as the Tunguska, further development and production of the Tunguska was put in question. In the end, realizing the greater flexibility and potential of the Tunguska design, further development and production was approved.
A pre-production batch left the factory floor in 1976 for army trials. After a long series of tests, the Tunguska was officially commissioned into service with the Soviet Army in September 1982. The vehicle was continuously being improved upon, with subsequent newer variants being developed during the 1990s and 2000s.
The Tunguska served initially with the Soviet armed forces, although it was passed on to the militaries of the Soviet Union's successor states after its collapse in the late 1980s. Thus, modernized versions of the Tunguska continue to serve with the Russian armed forces today as well as the armies of Belarus and Ukraine. The Tunguska also sees service with other nations around the world, such as Yemen, India, Morocco and some others.
- From Devblog
Media
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- Videos
See also
"ZPRK" (Anti-Aircraft Gun and Missile Complex) from other tech trees
- XM1069 (ADATS) - an experimental vehicle based on M3 chassis with MIM-146 dual-purpose missile
- Pantsir-S1 - the new generation, ZPRK of Russian Army with extensive upgrades with solutions to-be upgraded from chassis of 2S6
- PGZ04A - PLAGF's SPAA of late-1990s with upgrades from 2004
- SIDAM 25 (Mistral) - Italian's solution without search radar
External links
| USSR anti-aircraft vehicles | |
|---|---|
| GAZ-AAA | GAZ-AAA (4M) · GAZ-AAA (DShK) |
| BTR-152 | BTR-152A · BTR-152D |
| Wheeled/Half-tracked | GAZ-MM (72-K) · ZiS-12 (94-KM) · ZiS-43 |
| Radar SPAAG | ZSU-23-4 · ZSU-37-2 |
| SAM | ZSU-23-4M4 · Strela-10M2 · 2S6 · Pantsir-S1 |
| Other | ZSU-23-4M2 · ZUT-37 · ZSU-37 · BTR-ZD · ZSU-57-2 |
| Czechoslovakia | M53/59 |
| North Vietnam | ▂Phòng không T-34 |
