Iraqi camouflage artillery spotted en route to Ukraine: A deep dive into their origins

Residents of Germany noticed that the transportation of weapons was likely intended for Ukraine. These are the known artillery systems 2S1 Gvozdika and 2S3 Akatsiya but in a distinctive, rarely seen camouflage. We explain where they might have come from in the West and remind you of their capabilities.

From the brief reports attached to the photos published on social media, it appears the transport was registered in Bremerhaven. Observers of the war in Ukraine quickly noted that the artillery systems visible here stand out with a camouflage used by the Iraqi military.

It is supposed that the weapons could come from Great Britain, where they were after the Persian Gulf War, in which several Western countries participated. Such a scenario is more plausible because it concerns a region of Germany where the port of Bremen-Bremerhaven is located, Europe's fourth largest goods handling place. Accepting a ship from Great Britain with military equipment would not be a problem.

This is also interesting because Iraq once acquired the 2S1 Gvozdika and 2S3 Akatsiya artillery systems from the USSR. Both are widely used during the war in Ukraine by both sides of the conflict. Although they are years old, they still perform well in the roles for which they were created. Moreover, as analysts have calculated, the 2S1 Gvozdika and 2S3 Akatsiya are still the most popular artillery in the Russian army's arsenal. The same could also be true for the Ukrainian armed forces, which, although they are being reinforced with NATO equipment, still largely rely on post-Soviet designs.

The 2S1 Gvozdika is a howitzer produced between 1971 and 1994. It is mounted on the tracked chassis of the MT-LB transporter and equipped with a 300 HP engine, making it self-propelled and mobile. The entire construction weighs nearly 16 tonnes and is adapted for 122 mm calibre shells. Each shell weighs about 22 kg and is capable of striking targets up to about 15 km away. The range can be increased to about 23 km using shells with a gas generator.

In the case of 2S3 Akatsiya, the armament consists of the D-20 howitzer/gun calibre 152.4 mm, mounted on the SU-100P chassis, which adds an engine with a power of 520 HP. The maximum striking range using standard ammunition is about 18.5 km. The crew also has access to auxiliary weaponry, which consists of a 7.62 mm machine gun.