The Ukrainian-developed 2S22 Bohdana 155mm artillery system will receive a shorter 39-caliber barrel instead of the current 52-caliber one. This design change may be driven not only by production-related reasons but also by the need to fill the roles of legacy systems like the 2S3 Akatsiya and imported guns like the M109 or even the M777 howitzers on the battlefield.
The update was revealed at the MSPO 2025 arms exhibition in Poland. It was also disclosed that the system will be mounted on South Korean and German chassis. Meanwhile, the manufacturer — PJSC Kramatorsk Heavy Duty Machine Tool Building Plant, a NAUDI association member — is already producing nearly 30 units per month.
Read more: Ukraine's Defense Industry Produces Hundreds of 155mm Bohdana, Bohdana-BG Howitzers and Keeps Producing
Jest i AHS Bohdana #MSPO2025 pic.twitter.com/OF3r4OQW0d — Mariusz Marszałkowski (@MJMarszalkowski) September 1, 2025
From a military standpoint, a shorter barrel makes sense for brigade-level artillery. In this role, Bohdana could potentially be mounted on a lighter 6x6 wheeled platform for the self-propelled version.
On the production side, a 39-caliber variant would make it possible to create a lighter towed system that is easier to transport, operate, and conceal in firing positions. It would fit into the niche currently occupied by the American M777, which has the same barrel length.
Currently, the Bohdana-B — the towed one — is produced with a 52-caliber barrel and a carriage from the Giatsint-B system, though the manufacturer plans to develop its own carriage in the future. So, perhaps the gun unit will be scaled down to meet the demand for brigade-level howitzers.
Among self-propelled systems, the closest 39-caliber long analog would be the American M109, capable of about 21 km range with ordinary shells. The United States had supplied these guns in various modifications.
Similarly, the Soviet 2S3 Akatsiya — also used by Ukraine — has a 20.5 km range. A shorter Bohdana could step into this role, ideally on a tracked chassis to improve cross-country mobility.
Expanding Bohdana to new platforms also makes sense strategically, as it would reduce reliance on Czech Tatra trucks, which face a heavy production backlog and high costs. Furthermore, Ukrainians can not only buy new vehicles to install the guns on, but also repurpose the chassis already received through aid, such as RMMV HX and TGS trucks.
Unconfirmed reports also suggest a tracked chassis may be used for Bohdana. If so, options are currently limited to German platforms, since South Korea refuses to sell arms to countries at war.
Possible candidates include Rheinmetall's Lynx IFV chassis, with a weight capacity of up to 50 tons, and the ASCOD chassis, rated for 45 tons and already fielded with a 155mm artillery module in the RCH 155.
In summary, a 39-caliber Bohdana could effectively replace aging Akatsiya and M109 systems at the brigade level, mounted on either wheeled or tracked platforms already available in Ukraine.
At the same time, since most self-propelled platforms can easily accommodate a longer barrel, this change may ultimately apply only to the towed Bohdana-B, while the 52-caliber version continues in production for the self-propelled line.
Read more: High-End Howitzer RCH 155 Could Be in Ukraine Within Months, Once Integrated with Kropyva C2 System
