2B1 Oka, (Russian: "2Б1 Ока" - "Oka River"), is a Soviet 420 mm self-propelled heavy artillery. 2B1 is its GRAU designation.
2B1 Oka | |
---|---|
Type | Self-propelled artillery |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Production history | |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | 55.3 t (54.4 long tons; 61.0 short tons) |
Height | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
Main armament | 420 mm (17 in) L/47.5 |
Engine | V12-5 diesel 520 kW (700 hp) |
An experimental model was ready in 1957. Its chassis (Object 273), was designed and built by the Kirov Plant. Its 20 m (66 ft) barrel allowed it to fire 750 kg (1,650 lb) rounds up to 45 km (28 mi). Due to its complexity of loading it had a relatively low rate of fire—one round every five minutes. Field tests showed various drawbacks of the entire design (the recoil was too strong for many components: it damaged drive sprockets, ripped the gear-box away from its mountings, etc.) and the sheer length rendered it incredibly difficult to transport.[1]
Its development continued until 1960, when the idea of such overpowered guns (along with the 2A3), was abandoned in favor of tactical ballistic missiles, such as the 2K6 Luna.