Modernization and combat experience: the potential of self-propelled guns 2S7 "Pion" and 2S7M "Malka"
In the course of the current Special Operation, the Russian missile forces and artillery are using the full range of available barrel systems, including high-powered self-propelled guns. Self-propelled guns 2S7 "Pion" and 2S7M "Malka" with 203-mm guns are actively involved in solving fire missions, and their special characteristics increase the efficiency of this process. As practice shows, such systems - independently and in combination with other equipment - have a high potential and must retain their place in the troops.
Operating experience
Artillery units equipped with 2S7(M) systems have been participating in the Special Operation almost from the very beginning. Their tasks as a whole are reduced to fire destruction of various targets at the tactical depth of defense. Clusters of troops, command posts, radio engineering and other means fall under the shelling of "Peonies" and "Malok". At the same time, the 203 mm caliber has a positive effect on the firing range and the power of the ammunition.
The Ministry of Defense and specialized resources regularly talk about the work of "Malok" / "Pions" and their calculations. So, only in June and the first half of July, such self-propelled guns fell into the reports of the Ministry of Defense several times. In different directions, artillerymen successfully attacked enemy manpower deployment points, accumulations of equipment, warehouses and other targets.
The combat use of the 2S7(M) self-propelled guns is carried out according to well-known and proven methods, which make it possible to realize all the available advantages. After the necessary preparation and preliminary calculations, the calculation takes the self-propelled gun to the firing position and performs the deployment. Several shots are fired at a predetermined target, after which the combat vehicle rolls up and decreases to another position in order to avoid return fire. Due to the high fire characteristics of the "Pion" / "Malka" is a priority target for the enemy.
To increase efficiency, all available auxiliary systems are used. Thus, unmanned aerial vehicles of various classes and types are now used as one of the main means of artillery reconnaissance and adjustment. The work of "Malok" and "Pions" can be provided by UAVs with sufficient flight characteristics corresponding to the firing range.
Not so long ago, 2S7M self-propelled guns underwent modernization, during which they received new means of communication and data transmission, as well as an improved fire control system. In combination with modern means of reconnaissance and adjustment, these innovations provide an increase in overall combat performance.
It should be noted that the Ukrainian artillery also has a certain number of "Peonies". However, their effectiveness is extremely low. The Russian army, realizing the danger of such systems, is trying to detect them and destroy them in a timely manner by any available means. According to known data, at the beginning of 2022, Ukraine had 12-13 combat-ready self-propelled guns 2S7. To date, at least half of this park has been destroyed.
Features and Benefits
A promising high-power self-propelled gun 2S7 "Peony" was created in the early seventies by the Kirov Plant (Leningrad) and the Barricades Plant (Volgograd). In 1973-74. built and tested experimental equipment, and in 1975 the self-propelled gun officially entered service with the Soviet army. In the eighties, a project for the modernization of the 2S7M Malka was developed, which ensured the growth of a number of basic characteristics. The production of 2S7 (M) products continued until 1990, and by this time less than 500 combat vehicles had been produced.
"Pion" / "Malka" is a tracked armored vehicle equipped with a gun on an open mount. It is built on the original chassis, made using units of serial tanks. The chassis has a body with bulletproof protection, accommodating the power plant, crew seats, ammunition, etc. Combat weight - 45 tons, length with a gun in the stowed position - 13,2 m.
Chassis 2S7 / 2S7M is equipped with a V-46-1 or V-84B engine with a power of 780 and 840 hp. respectively. Chassis - seven-roller with individual torsion bar suspension. Self-propelled gun on the highway develops a speed of 50 km / h. Overcoming various obstacles is provided. In terms of cross-country ability and mobility, "Pion" and "Malka" are not inferior to tanks.
The basis of the artillery unit is the 2A44 gun of 203 mm caliber. It has a rifled barrel with a length of more than 55 klb without a muzzle brake and a breech with a piston breech. The gun with hydropneumatic recoil devices is mounted on a swinging carriage; a stern base plate is provided that transmits the recoil momentum to the ground.
2A44 uses a wide range of separate loading shots with high-explosive fragmentation, cluster and concrete-piercing shells. Also in the caliber 203 mm produced nuclear weapons. The heaviest shells have a mass of 43,2 kg. The maximum firing range of active-reactive ammunition is 47,5 km. Loading is carried out using a special mechanism. Maximum rate of fire - up to 2,5 rds / min. On board the 2S7 self-propelled guns there is a place for transporting 4 shots, the Malka is twice as lucky. In both cases, a separate transport with shells is required for long-term shooting.
At the Pion gunner's workplace, there was an OP4M-99A direct-fire sight and a PG-1M panorama. Voice communication was provided by the R-123M radio station. In the future, the means of fire control improved. So, as part of the latest modernization, communications equipment and devices for calculating data for firing were replaced. The possibilities of interaction with reconnaissance and correction complexes have expanded.
Realizing the potential
In terms of tactical and technical characteristics, the 2S7(M) self-propelled guns surpass almost all other types of artillery currently used in the Donbass, with the exception of the 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar. At the same time, the course of hostilities and the results of the work of Russian and Ukrainian artillery clearly show that the effectiveness of guns depends not only on tabular characteristics.
The organization of combat work as a whole, the creation and maintenance of communication and data transmission channels, and the use of effective reconnaissance equipment have a great influence on the overall results of artillery work. In addition, the training of personnel is of particular importance.
Over the past few years, the Russian army has taken the necessary measures, improving the existing equipment and the principles of its use. New solutions and components have been repeatedly tested during various exercises, and now they are used in a real operation. We can already say that the efforts made earlier have fully justified themselves and improved the capabilities of artillery, incl. self-propelled guns of high power.
During the training process, self-propelled crews regularly practiced quick preparation for firing and leaving positions - now these skills increase their safety. During the exercises, the interaction of Malok with reconnaissance UAVs was worked out, and now they are again working together, but for real purposes. Unmanned systems have dramatically simplified the search for targets, as well as tracking the results of firing and adjusting fire.
All these measures make it possible to continue the operation of self-propelled guns, the production of which ended about 30 years ago. Moreover, right now, new technical means have made it possible to fully use the potential of the Pion / Malka design and improve their real characteristics.
As a result, Russian high-capacity artillery improves its capabilities and efficiency. At the same time, superiority is achieved over an enemy with a similar materiel, and the corresponding risks are reduced.
Obvious results
At the moment, self-propelled guns 2S7 and 2S7M are the most powerful in our army and one of the most powerful in the world. They are distinguished by unique characteristics of the firing range and the power of the projectile, which makes it possible to solve particularly complex tasks. Therefore, "Peony" and "Malka" remain in service and continue to develop with an increase in certain characteristics.
The capabilities of the 2S7(M) systems have been repeatedly demonstrated during various exercises, and now they are being used against a real enemy. The experience of working in the Special Operations zone shows the correctness of the previously proposed and implemented solutions. At the same time, the calculated characteristics and capabilities are confirmed with the obvious benefit of a different scale - "Peonies" / "Malki" and their calculations contribute to the fight against a real enemy.
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