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The 2S1 belonged to the Iraqi Army when the U.S. Marine
Corps captured it during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
After its capture, the vehicle passed through two museums
which did not have the interest or resources to restore
it. On arrival at the Foundation shops the vehicle's engine
and transmission proved to be in reasonably good condition.
The rest of the vehicle showed evidence of heavy use by
Iraqi troops including broken welds and damaged parts. The
turret-mounted 122mm howitzer had been fired at rates much
higher than the design rate; the barrel showed signs of
severe overheating. The weapon mount had major stress cracks.
In addition to other major damage, there had been an electrical
fire in the engine compartment.
Work on restoring the 2S1 began in January 2001. The project
is estimated to take 9 months. After the vehicle was taken
apart it was repainted, and damaged or missing parts replaced.
The vehicle's entire electrical system was also replaced.
Electrical system debugging is expected to be the most time-consuming
aspect of this vehicle's restoration. When complete, the
vehicle will be categorized as operational
plus rather than factory new
because a few major components were not restored to their
historically accurate state.
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