A new batch of 2S43 Malva 152mm self-propelled howitzers has been shipped to Russian troops, Russian defense conglomerate Rostec announced in a press release last week.
The quantity of guns has not been disclosed.
A number of Malva batches have been delivered to the troops since October 2023.
The Uraltransmash-produced wheeled gun completed its three-year state trials in May 2023. It is designed to knock out adversary command posts, defensive structures, artillery and missile batteries, air defense positions, armored vehicles, and personnel, according to Rostec.
2S43 Malva
Mounted on a BAZ-6010-027 Voshchina 8×8 truck, the 32-ton artillery system has an operational range of 1,100 kilometers (683 miles).
Its 152mm, 47-caliber 2A64 cannon strikes at a range of 24 kilometers (15 miles) with standard shells and 29 kilometers (18 miles) with rocket-assisted projectiles.
In comparison, Western truck-mounted artillery such as the Caesar has a range of around 40 kilometers (25 miles).
Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact
Malva carries a stock of 30 rounds and has a rate of fire of 7 rounds per minute.
According to Rostec, the gun can fire in Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact mode, wherein multiple shells are fired at a target at different trajectory, allowing the rounds to arrive at a target simultaneously.
“One of the important advantages of the Malva self-propelled artillery gun is its improved maneuverability, as well as the speed of deployment and dismantling of positions, which is very important in the conditions of intense counter-battery combat in the special operation zone,” Industrial Director at Rostec Bekkhan Ozdoyev explained.
“In addition, the wheeled howitzer has simpler maintenance compared to tracked self-propelled artillery units.”