With the delivery of the first registered batch in 2024, the Russian Ground Forces continue their process of incorporating and adopting the new 2S43 Malva self-propelled howitzers. This is according to one of the latest official announcements issued by the state consortium Rostec on June 25. The announcement comes in the same month when various sources have reported the presence of this Artillery Combat Vehicle in Ukraine.
The recent addition of this new 8×8 wheeled self-propelled howitzer is part of a recent initiative. Last year marked significant milestones for this new program within the Russian Ground Forces, including the completion of final acceptance tests and the delivery of the first batch to artillery units. According to Rostec, this occurred in October 2023.
“The ‘Malva’ wheeled self-propelled howitzer is a modern and powerful weapon capable of destroying virtually any target with high-explosive and fragmentation projectiles at distances exceeding 24 km. Thanks to its wheeled chassis, it can quickly deploy into position and withdraw, avoiding counter-battery fire, which is crucial under these conditions. The artillery installation features automated calculation of firing parameters for all types of ammunition. Additionally, it includes a ‘simultaneous fire salvo’ mode, where multiple projectiles fired with different trajectories and velocities impact the target simultaneously,” said Bekhan Ozdoev, industrial director of the conventional arms, ammunition, and special chemistry cluster at Rostec State Corporation.
Weighing 32 tons and officially designated as 2S43 Malva, the system is based on a 152 mm artillery gun mounted on an 8×8 truck from the BAZ company. This design is reminiscent of other respected European and international designs, such as the French CAESAR and the Israeli Elbit Systems’ ATMOS. Developed by the Research Center Burevestnik, a division of Uralvagonzavod, this development aims to replace the Russian Ground Forces’ older self-propelled howitzers based on tracked platforms dating back to the Soviet era, such as the 2A65 MSTA-B and the 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm.
Although the recent Rostec announcement in June did not specify the number of new 2S43 Malva units delivered to the Russian Ground Forces, several updates in June indicated deployments in Ukraine, with various images and videos showing units deployed in frontline sectors around Kharkiv.
In early June, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) sources reported their deployment by the 9th Artillery Brigade of the Russian Ground Forces, currently moving towards Kharkiv. However, neither the Ministry of Defense nor Russian media provided further details to gather more information on what would be the first operational deployment of 2S43 Malva in Ukraine.
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