Russian MoD gets new self-propelled artillery guns

Rostec State Corporation has supplied the Russian Defence Ministry with a batch of new 152-mm Malva self-propelled artillery guns.

"The newest artillery launcher is distinguished by mobility, can fire all types of ammunition in an automated manner and operate in the simultaneous fire attack mode, when several fired ammunition reaches the target at the same time," TASS quotes Rostec press service as saying.

The 2S43 Malva is a new Russian truck-mounted howitzer. It is based on a BAZ 8x8 heavy high mobility chassis. Conceptual designs of this artillery system were first revealed in 2019. The prototype was first publicly revealed in 2020. Testing of this new Russian artillery system began in 2021. State trials were successfully completed in 2023. Production was reportedly authorised during the same year in 2023 to meet an urgent operational requirement of the Russian Army, that was gradually losing in Ukraine.

The Malva can be seen as an alternative to a 2S35-1 Koalitsiya-SV Ksh truck-mounted howitzer. Its lighter and wheeled chassis offers better cross-country mobility. It can self-deploy over long distances without the need for a semi-trailer. The artillery system is more cost-efficient to maintain and operate than other Russian artillery systems, based on tracked chassis. However, it loses in terms of off-road performance to tracked artillery systems.