“The self-propelled artillery gun is designed to destroy command posts, defensive structures, artillery, rocket and mortar batteries, air defense systems, columns of armored vehicles and enemy manpower. A wheeled self-propelled gun has a higher technical resource and lower operation Costs: Deployment to a position, its departure and orientation towards the target require much less time compared to towed guns or those that have a tracked base,” he noted in the military department.
It is clarified that the Malva is armed with a 152 mm howitzer, taken from the Msta-S tracked self-propelled gun. The new self-propelled gun can fire all types of ammunition used in 152 mm gun mounts, such as the Msta-B, 2 S19 Msta-S, D-20, 2S3 Akatsiya and ML-20. Including adjustable projectiles with laser illumination “Krasnopol”. The Malva’s firing rate is 7 shots per minute. Transportable ammunition: 30 projectiles.
“The howitzer has the ability to implement the “simultaneous fire attack” firing mode, when several fired munitions simultaneously hit the target. The onboard equipment complex facilitates a crew of five in supplying projectiles and provides automated fire control In addition, the weapon received an autonomous power unit, which provides it with electricity in its position,” the military said.
Thanks to the wheeled chassis, the howitzer can quickly rotate into position and leave it, avoiding return fire. This is very important in the conditions of counterbattery warfare actively carried out in the zone of special operations.
“The designers did an excellent job with the main task: increasing the mobility of self-propelled artillery systems and protecting their crews. In addition, it fits on the Il-76 transport aircraft and can be quickly transported over long distances,” said the Russian. added the Ministry of Defense.
The Malva project is based on the concept of a highly mobile light artillery system. The basis of the new self-propelled gun is a special wheeled chassis BAZ-6610-027 “Voshchina”. It is a four-axle, all-wheel drive vehicle with a large payload capacity.
In the front there is a two-row cabin with seats for a crew of five people and a power plant, in the center there is an installation of various units and ammunition, and in the stern there is an artillery installation.
YaMZ-8424.10 diesel engine with a power of 470 HP. allows a 32-ton combat vehicle to reach speeds of up to 80 km/h on the road. Power reserve: 1000 km. The chassis is designed to move both on and off-road.
The Malva howitzer has a “simultaneous fire attack” firing mode, when several fired ammunition hits the target simultaneously
Following the results of the International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2023” held in August, the Russian Ministry of Defense concluded a state contract with the Burevestnik Central Research Institute for the supply of the latest Malva wheeled howitzers to the troops. The military reported that all weapons and equipment acquired are purchased taking into account the needs of the special operation.
In August it also became known that defense specialists were already developing a modernized version of the Malva with a longer firing range. This was reported by the first deputy general director of the Rostec state corporation, Vladimir Artyakov. According to him, the new Russian self-propelled gun will have something to oppose the long-range howitzers that Western countries supply to the Ukrainian army.
It is important that the promising 2S43 Malva product is not considered a substitute for existing tracked self-propelled guns. It should complement tracked vehicles and provide ground forces with new capabilities.
A combined fleet of Russian self-propelled artillery at different bases will be able to more effectively carry out combat work in different conditions and more successfully solve the entire range of combat and fire missions that arise during a special operation.
