The newest self-propelled gun "Malva" began to be used in the area of its own
MOSCOW, June 10 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. In the Kharkiv region, the 2C43 Malva self-propelled gun was noticed, used for counter-battery warfare and hitting point targets. Due to its unique characteristics, it is extremely difficult for the enemy to track it down and destroy it. About what this weapon is capable of — in the material of RIA Novosti.
Lightweight and mobile
The experience of a special military operation has unequivocally proved that mobility for barrel artillery is the main guarantee of survival. The number of drones over the battlefield on both sides is so large that the howitzer is detected almost immediately after the first shot. In order not to fall under the "response", the ACS must quickly leave the firing position. However, it takes time to roll up a towed or tracked gun, which is very often not available.
Self-propelled artillery gun 2C43 "Malva" at the international military-technical forum "ARMY-2023"
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Kirill Zykov
"Malva" is devoid of this disadvantage. 2C43 is the first Russian self—propelled gun on a wheelbase. It is made on the chassis of a four-wheel drive BAZ-6910-027 car with an 8x8 wheel formula: the Malva is much lighter and more mobile than the main tracked howitzer of the Russian army of the same caliber, the Mst-S. The combat weight of the new machine is 32 tons, it can be transported by Il—76 aircraft.
The engine is diesel YaMZ-8424.10, power — 470 horsepower. The combat vehicle is capable of accelerating up to 80 kilometers per hour on the highway. The power reserve is a thousand kilometers: twice as much as the Msta-S. It can also move off-road. A two-row cabin in the front of the chassis houses a crew of five people, the center is given over to various units and ammunition, and an artillery installation is located in the stern.
Self-propelled artillery installation "Malva"
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Malva has a 2A64 rifled gun with a barrel length of 47 calibers. The same howitzer is installed on the Mstu-S. The ACS can use all types of 152 mm ammunition. It hits targets at a distance of up to 24 kilometers with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile and up to 28 kilometers with an active—reactive one. However, this gun is capable of throwing the newest controlled Krasnopol-D at 43 kilometers.
Sniper self-propelled guns
The latter is especially important. Western wheeled analogues, such as the French CAESAR, the Swedish Archer, as well as the Ukrainian Bogdana, hit the passport with high-explosive fragmentation at a distance of up to 40 kilometers. Krasnopol-D will allow Russian gunners to "shoot" the enemy at range, which is very important when properly organizing counter-battery warfare. In addition, this range makes the Malva practically invulnerable to FPV drones.
More importantly, 2C43 is very accurate. It is equipped with a modern fire control system that calculates the direction of fire, the angle of inclination of the gun itself and performs guidance in fully automatic mode. The coordinates of the target and weather data are entered into the computer in advance so as not to waste extra time on the firing position. The crew who arrived at the firing zone can only prepare the gun, load it and fire a volley. The control is duplicated: if complex automation fails, all operations can be performed manually. The rate of fire of the ACS depends on the training of the loaders and can reach up to seven rounds per minute. The carried ammunition is 30 shells.
Accuracy, range, rate of fire and mobility turn the Mallow into an ideal nomadic fire weapon. This is either an artillery unit or a separate installation, whose task is to confuse the enemy by consistently firing from several positions. The number of such weapons, their calibers and the amount of ammunition used are determined depending on the tactical situation.
Wheeled self-propelled howitzer "Malva"
Image source: CC BY 4.0 / Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (cropped) /
As a rule, the time and order of firing are set for each CBS, four or five positions are prepared and the order of their change is determined. After firing at the targets assigned by the command, pre-selected routes are used to secretly move to a new location. As a result, one self-propelled gun can seriously "hammer" the enemy and create the illusion that an entire battery is working on it.
In addition, due to its mobility, the Malva can be used as an on-duty firearm as part of a reconnaissance and strike complex and receive target designation directly from drones or from the battlefield. This seriously reduces the time from target detection to destruction.
In a short time
It is important to note that the 2C43 was brought to the stage of mass production in a short time. Nizhny Novgorod Central Research Institute "Burevestnik" has been conducting development work with the code "Outline" since the mid-2010s. The purpose of the program was to create several promising models of self-propelled artillery that meet modern requirements for such equipment. In 2019, it became known that within the framework of this ROC, a 152-millimeter cannon on a wheelbase was being created.
The prototype was built the following year. In 2020, he was shown to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense in private, and several photos and general information were presented to the public. In the same year, a promising self-propelled gun was brought to factory tests. The car "behaved" well and corresponded to the specified characteristics. State tests took place from the spring of 2021 to May 2023, and mass production began at the end of last year or the beginning of this year.
It is important to note that the new ACS is not considered as a replacement for existing self-propelled guns. It should complement tracked vehicles and give the ground forces new capabilities. A combined fleet of self-propelled artillery at different bases will be able to conduct combat work more effectively and successfully solve the entire range of emerging combat and fire tasks.
