2S7 Pion II

2S7 Pion (rus. "peony"; I don't know who names these guns. Peony, Carnation, Acacia, Hyacinth, Tulip...) is a heavy self-propelled howitzer developed in Soviet Union on a base of modified T-80 tank chassis. This massive 203 mm gun needs a crew of 7 to be prepared to fire. The projectile is loaded automatically, while the propellant is placed by hand. The the crew retreats, leaving only a gunner sitting right next to the gun's breech to aim the gun and fire it. Pion has a range of 37,5 km, but using rocket-assisted projectiles the range increases to 55 km. It can fire HE, fragmentation, chemicel (no longer used) or even nuclear shells. It is often regarded as the most powerful self-propelled gun in the world. Most recently, they were used during South Ossetia War in 2008.

The ground spade at the back of the vehicle is used to absorb the enormous recoil of the gun.