Recently, the newest Russian wheeled self-propelled gun 2S43 "Malva" was spotted at the front. This is the first known case of its use on the battlefield.
Points of attention
- Russia has recently introduced the newest self-propelled wheeled howitzer, dubbed 'Malva', showcasing it in battle for the first time in the Kharkiv region.
- The 'Malva' is a Russian attempt to create an analogue of the French CAESAR, featuring the repositioned Msta-S 2A64 152-mm gun on a wheeled base with a range of up to 24 kilometers.
- Developed by the Burevestnyk Central Research Institute, the 'Malva' is equipped with a 2A64 gun capable of firing up to 24.7 km with high-explosive fragmentation shells and up to 29 km with active-reactive ammunition.
- This self-propelled gun weighs 32 tons, requires a crew of five, and can carry 30 shells on its BAZ-6010-027 chassis with an armored cabin.
- The Ukrainian intelligence agency Kriegsforscher captured images of 'Malva' in the Belgorod region, where Russian forces have deployed these advanced self-propelled howitzers.
Russians started to use the newest self-propelled howitzer "Malva"
The occupiers used new equipment during the battle in the Kharkiv region. However, the self-propelled guns themselves were spotted in the territory of the Russia Belgorod region.
The Russians held the first public demonstration of 2S43 "Malva" in 2020, but the Russian army began to receive them only in October 2023. During this time, propagandists twice announced successful tests of this technique, but the results were not announced.
According to experts, this sell-propelled howitzer can be considered a Russian attempt to create an analogue of the French CAESAR. However, their version involves repositioning the Msta-S 2А64 calibre 152-mm gun with a range of up to 24 kilometres on a wheeled base.
The combat mass of "Malva" is 32 tons. Five people are needed for its work. The self-propelled gun carries 30 shells, and the chassis is BAZ-6010-027 with an armoured cabin.
What is known about the "Malva" howitzer
This military equipment is a development of the Burevestnyk Central Research Institute, which has been working on its creation since the 2010s.
It is based on the 2A64 gun with a barrel length of 47 calibres. It can fire at a distance of up to 24.7 km with high-explosive fragmentation shells and up to 29 km with active-reactive ammunition.
The Ukrainian intelligence agency Kriegsforscher published a photo of self-propelled guns in the Belgorod region. "Malva" was recorded by a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone, which constantly monitors Russian artillery along the border.
