Features and benefits of SAO 2S43 "Malva"
Prototype "Malva". Photo by Central Research Institute "Burevestnik"
Over the past few years, NPK "Uralvagonzavod" has been developing and testing a promising self-propelled artillery gun 2S43 "Malva". To date, the prototype has passed all the necessary tests and confirmed the design characteristics, which allows you to start production. In the foreseeable future, serial self-propelled guns will go to combat units and will have to give them certain advantages.
Development and testing
Since the middle of the last decade, the Central Research Institute "Burevestnik" (Nizhny Novgorod) from the NPK "Uralvagonzavod" has been carrying out development work with the code "Sketch". Its goal was to create several new models of self-propelled artillery that meet modern requirements for such equipment. In 2019, it became known that within the framework of this development work, along with other samples, a 152-mm self-propelled artillery gun "Malva" is being created.
By the time the first reports appeared, the 2S43 Malva project had reached the stage of building a prototype. In 2020, it was shown to the leadership of the defense department in a closed manner, and a number of photographs and general information were presented to the public. In the same year, an experimental SAO of a new type was brought to factory tests in order to check the general design features.
Just a few months later, in the spring of 2021, the Malva prototype was handed over to the Ministry of Defense for state testing. It was assumed that all such activities would take about a year and a half and be completed before the end of 2022. It was not possible to meet such deadlines exactly, but the backlog turned out to be small and should not affect the overall progress of work.
Against the backdrop of ongoing testing, in mid-August 2022, UVZ management announced the start of a new stage of work. At one of the enterprises of the corporation, the construction of a pilot batch of Malva products was launched. The number and timing of the manufacture of these self-propelled guns were not called.
Finally, in mid-May 2023, it became known about the completion of state tests. SAO 2S43 confirmed all the calculated characteristics. The management of the corporation-developer highly appreciated this combat vehicle and expressed confidence in the imminent start of the receipt of such equipment by the troops.
The first known image of the product 2S43. Graphics Russianarms.ru
Thus, R & D under the code "Malva" is successfully completed, and now issues of an organizational and production nature are being resolved. This means that in the near future Uralvagonzavod will be able to start producing new equipment, and the army will receive another modern self-propelled gun. It was previously mentioned that deliveries of such equipment could begin in 2023-24.
New concept
The Malva project is based on the concept of a highly mobile lightweight artillery system on a wheeled chassis. Similar equipment has already been developed in our country, but not a single such project has reached the series and operation. Now the views of the customer and the capabilities of the developers have changed, and the 2S43 product has every chance of entering service and complementing the traditional self-propelled guns.
SAO "Malva" was built on the basis of a special chassis BAZ-6610-027 "Voshchina". It is a four-axle all-wheel drive vehicle with a high payload. In front of such a chassis there is a double-row cabin with five-person crew stations and a power plant, the center is given over to the installation of various units and ammunition, and an artillery mount is located in the stern.
The used chassis is equipped with a YaMZ-8424.10 diesel engine with a power of 470 hp. With its help, a combat vehicle weighing 32 tons is capable of speeds up to 80 km / h on the highway; cruising range - 1000 km. The chassis is designed for both highway and off-road driving. However, in terms of mobility on rough terrain, it is inferior to tracked vehicles.
The artillery unit of the "Malva" is distinguished by a certain simplicity. In the stern of the chassis, the upper carriage machine with pickup mechanisms is openly mounted. Shooting is provided within the front sector with a width of 60 ° at elevation angles from -3 ° to + 70 °. Under the artillery system is a folding coulter that transmits the recoil momentum to the ground.
The 2S43 self-propelled gun is armed with a 152-mm 2A64 howitzer, borrowed from the Msta-S combat vehicle. The gun has a rifled barrel 47 klb long with a developed muzzle brake and a breech with a semi-automatic vertical wedge breech. A separate-sleeve loading method is used using a ramming mechanism.
"Malva" at the parade, 2021. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
"Malva" can use all types of ammunition for the "Msta-S" and shows similar combat characteristics. The maximum firing range of a conventional projectile is approx. 24 km; active-reactive or guided fly further. Ammunition SAO includes 30 shots. Shells and shells are transported in the central part of the chassis or on a separate machine and fed to the gun manually.
The 2S43 product was supposed to receive a modern fire control system, but exact information about it is not yet available. Probably, a digital system is used with high-precision navigation tools, the ability to exchange information and automatically generate data for firing.
Desired benefits
Thanks to the use of a new concept and the correct selection of components, the Malva SAO has a number of important features and advantages that are of interest to the army. At the same time, there are certain limitations and even disadvantages. However, the competent use of new technology and the implementation of its advantages can reduce the impact of negative factors and reduce risks.
The main advantages of "Malva" are associated with the use of a wheeled chassis. Such a base simplifies and speeds up the transfer of equipment, and also allows it to move faster between positions using highways or dirt roads, as well as some off-road conditions. In particular, the wheeled chassis allows you to quickly leave the dangerous area and get away from the retaliatory strike. The experience of the current Special Operation shows how important and valuable is the speed of movement.
At the same time, wheeled vehicles have certain restrictions on mobility and cross-country ability, which is why in a number of situations they are inferior to tracked ones. As a result, the organization of the use of "Malva" or other similar combat vehicle requires additional factors and circumstances to be taken into account. Otherwise, the self-propelled gun will not be able to effectively solve the problem.
The high mobility of the 2S43, among other things, is ensured by a reduction in mass due to the rejection of a full-fledged reservation. Because of this, the calculation and aggregates are exposed to certain risks. However, the experience of operating other artillery systems with open placement of guns shows that such threats should not be overestimated.
Fire tests, June 2021. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
In addition, there are simple and effective security solutions. For example, during the current operation, it turned out that the main threat to artillery in closed positions is represented by light UAVs with a combat load. To protect against them, the equipment receives special mesh screens installed at a certain height above the body. Machines like "Malva" are quite capable of carrying such additional protection.
A big advantage of the 2S43 system is a high degree of unification with existing equipment. So, the chassis of the Bryansk Automobile Plant are widespread in our army and there is a lot of experience in their operation. The artillery unit of the "Malva" was borrowed from the serial "Msta-S". Only individual parts and components are designed and produced from scratch. Such design features simplify and reduce the cost of production and operation.
However, even in such unification one can find disadvantages. For example, the SAO 2S43 is “composed” of fairly old components, and therefore a breakthrough in performance characteristics is not to be expected - all parameters remain at the level of current technology.
Combined approach
In general, we are talking about creating an unusual for our army, but quite an interesting sample of self-propelled artillery. "Malva" differs from cash ACS, but the existing differences give it certain advantages, although they impose certain limitations.
It is important that the promising product 2S43 is not considered as a replacement for existing self-propelled guns. It should complement tracked vehicles and give ground forces new opportunities. A combined fleet of self-propelled artillery on different bases will be able to more effectively conduct combat work in different conditions and more successfully solve the entire range of emerging combat and fire missions.
To date, the self-propelled gun 2S43 "Malva" has passed all the necessary tests and entered the pilot production. Now the new SAO can get a recommendation for adoption, go into a full-fledged series and enter the troops. This means that over the next few years, the Russian army will receive a self-propelled gun of a new class for itself, and with it a number of interesting features.
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