The 2A36 is a late Cold War era towed howitzer of USSR origin. It was developed in the early 1970's together with the self-propelled 2S5 to provide long range shelling and counter battery fire. The 2A36 replaced the M-46 in this role and provides a massive increase in performance. The 2A36 has the nickname Giatsint-B and until its designation was known was called the M1976 by NATO. The self-propelled 2S5, described elsewhere, is known as the Giatsint-S.

The 2A36 uses a split trail carriage with a four wheel chassis. A single jack is used to raise the chassis of the ground in the firing position. A 152mm 49-caliber howitzer with multislotted muzzle brake is fitted. The ordnance is mounted on a cradle that allows for elevation and limited traverse. To assist in loading there is as swiveling loading tray and a hydraulic rammer. A gun shield provides the crew of 8 with some protection over the frontal arc.

The 2A36 fires its own range of 152mm ammunition that is not interchangeable with older 152mm ammunition such as used by the D-20. A wide range of ammunition is available and includes HE-Frag, rocket assisted, armor piercing, illumination and smoke. The maximum range is 27 km for standard shells and 40 km for rocket assisted shells. Russian sources indicate a maximum range of only 33 km with rocket assisted shells. The direct fire range is about 2 km. The maximum rate of fire is 5 to 6 rpm.

The 2A36 is normally towed by a 6x6 truck such as the KrAZ-260 or the Ural 4320. Its size and weight make it difficult to transport. Nonetheless it may be towed up to 80 km/h on road and 30 km/h off road.

The main user of the 2A36 was the USSR and now Russia. It is also in use with most nations that were part of the USSR. Unlike most Soviet weapon systems the 2A36 was hardly exported, not even to Warsaw Pact nations.