A "Wunderwaffe" for the Ukrainian Army. Ukraine's Response to Oreshnik. A Wheeled Self-Propelled Artillery System Capable of Firing Operational-Tactical Missiles
Since Ukraine’s military-industrial complex had been destroyed long before the events in Ukraine began, there was no new Ukrainian military equipment, and certainly none could exist after the destruction of the energy sector and what remained of the military-industrial complex. Therefore, Ukrainian 3D modelers can only let their imaginations run wild with “what-if” scenarios. And as you can see, they’re quite successful at it.
The author of this work, our Ukrainian colleague Denys Makedon, decided to envision what a “wonder weapon” for the Ukrainian Army might look like—one that could either stop or significantly slow down the Russian offensive.
Since the American HIMARS multiple launch rocket system is currently the most successful piece of equipment in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he decided to present its artillery counterpart—as they say, “made in Ukraine.” In his opinion, such a weapon could be a super-heavy wheeled self-propelled artillery system.
He chose a 303 mm howitzer as the artillery mount for his vehicle. As you might guess, it’s a completely unconventional choice. What is this strange 303 caliber? Don’t ask—I have no idea. It would have been more logical, of course, to go with 305 mm, which is 12 inches. Or 300, if you’re a fan of the metric system. But the author decided on 303 mm.
He chose the chassis of a Tatra heavy-duty truck with an 8×8 wheel configuration as the basis for his vehicle. However, such a truck is not currently part of Tatra’s lineup. This is the same AI vehicle, which is a hybrid of the Czech Tatra and the American Oshkosh M1120.
Why didn’t the author choose a KrAZ? Don’t even ask.
But let’s get back to the gun. According to the author, only with such a massive caliber can this system achieve the firing range of operational-tactical missiles. At the same time, unlike missiles, the shells will be impossible to intercept.
Of course, it’s not a fact, but so far no such facts have been documented.
The ammunition for this SAM system must, of course, be active-reactive and guided, with a range exceeding 100 km.
Why didn’t the Russians manage to create a similar “wunderwaffe” out of the 203-mm Malk self-propelled gun (formerly known as the Pion)? The author doesn’t dwell on it. Well, neither will we. Anyway, enjoy this magnificent piece of work.
Where can you see technology like this? Obviously, we’ll never see anything like it in real life. But in video games—absolutely. Which is exactly what I think the author is counting on.
P.S. As always, please remember to practice information hygiene. We are still not discussing the conflict in Ukraine. In the comments, please limit discussions to the technical aspects of the project.
Source of illustrations: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/QKKKnL
