Sprut anti-tank gun

2A45 Sprut-A, 2A45M Sprut-B and 2S25 Sprut-SD (Russian for Octopus or Kraken ) are the designations of the Soviet smoothbore 125 mm anti-tank gun.

Development
The 2A45M was created in the late 1980s at the Petrov Design Bureau at Artillery Plant Number 9 also responsible for the 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30).

Description (Sprut-B)
The most distinctive feature of the Sprut-B is its integrated engine, which can propel the gun on relatively flat surfaces (up to 15 degrees slope) and at 14 km/h on roads. This gives the gun a measure of mobility on the battle field. It takes 2 minutes to go from firing position to travelling position and 1.5 minutes to go from travelling position to firing position. Such guns are known in Russian as "self-moving" (самодвижущиеся) as opposed to self-propelled (самоходные), and outside of battle it is towed by an MT-LB.

The gun features a crew of seven. During the day the OP4M-48A direct fire sight is used, at night the 1PN53-1 night vision sight is used. For indirect fire the 2Ts33 iron sights are used, along with the PG-1m panoramic sight. The gun can reliably engage targets 2 metres high at a distance of 2000 metres.

The barrel features a thermal sleeve to prevent temperature changes affecting the accuracy. The gun uses the same split ammunition as the T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks.

With an additional piece of equipment of the 9S53, laser guided projectiles like the 9M119 Svir or 9K120 Refleks can be fired.

General characteristics (Sprut-B)

 * Calibre: 125 mm, 51 calibre
 * Muzzle brake: double `T' type
 * Breech mechanism: semi-automatic, vertical wedge
 * Shield: yes
 * Weight:
 * (towing) 6,500 kg (14,300 lb)
 * (self-propelled) 6,800 kg (15,000 lb)
 * (firing) 6,575 kg (14,495 lb)
 * Length:
 * (towing) 7.120 m (23.35 ft)
 * (self-propelled) 6.790 m (22.27 ft)
 * Height:
 * (towing) 2.09 m (6.85 ft)
 * (self-propelled) 2.35 m (7.70 ft)
 * Width:
 * (towing) 2.66 m (8.72 ft)
 * (self-propelled) 2.66 m (8.72 ft)
 * Axis of bore: 0.925 m (3 ft)
 * Track: 2.20 m (7.21 ft)
 * Ground clearance: 0.36 m (1.18 ft)
 * Elevation/depression: +25°/−6°
 * Traverse: 360°
 * Range:
 * (APFSDS) 2,000 m (2,200 yd)
 * (missile) 5,000 m (5,500 yd)
 * (HE) 12,200 m (13,300 yd)
 * Rate of fire: 6–8 rds/min
 * Fording: 0.9 m (3 ft)
 * Speed:
 * (in APU mode) 14 km/h (9 mph)
 * Range:
 * (in APU mode) 50 km (30 mi)
 * Crew: 7
 * Towing vehicle: Ural-4320 (6 × 6) truck, MT-LB multipurpose tracked vehicle
 * Towing speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)

Ammunition
The gun uses the same ammunition as the D-81 series of guns used on the T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks.

Models

 * Sprut-A 2A45 Pure towed gun.
 * Sprut-B 2A45M Self-propelled towed gun.
 * Sprut-SD 2S25 A self-propelled gun mounted on the BMD-3 chassis with a turret mounting the stabilised 2A75 125 mm smoothbore gun

Users

 * 🇮🇷: manufactured by reverse engineering.
 * : developed their own indigenous version
 * 🇺🇦: made under license, by KMDB, in the city of Kharkiv.
 * : developed their own indigenous version
 * 🇺🇦: made under license, by KMDB, in the city of Kharkiv.
 * 🇺🇦: made under license, by KMDB, in the city of Kharkiv.

Former users

 * passed construction license to successor states
 * 🇧🇾 Belarus
 * 🇧🇾 Belarus


 * passed construction license to successor states