/ world today news/ The development of the self-propelled artillery installation “Lotos” has reached the finish line. State trials are coming up. This weapon will become one of the powerful arguments of the Russian army. What is known about the new product?
A forty-year veteran
In the USSR, a wide range of airborne equipment was created specifically for the Airborne Forces, but the first self-propelled guns for the “winged infantry” were adopted only in the 1980s. The Soviet 120-mm self-propelled artillery-mortar installation 2C9 “Nona-S” fits well into the organizational structure of the Airborne Forces. The combat weight of eight tons allows it to be dropped by parachute, and the rifled semi-automatic howitzer-mortar gun 2A51 can fire various types of ammunition at a distance of up to ten kilometers (up to 17 with an active rocket projectile).
The baptism of fire of “Nona-S” is in Afghanistan. Soldiers highly appreciate the wide angles of vertical guidance, the versatility of the self-propelled gun, its ability to work against various types of targets, as well as the significantly greater mobility on rough terrain compared to conventional mortars. Among the disadvantages are the small amount of transportable ammunition, the rapid wear of the chains and the limited horizontal aiming angles.
The designers partially corrected the shortcomings in the subsequent modifications 2S9-1 and 2S9-1M. Such are present in Chechnya and South Ossetia. They have been in SVO since the first days. However, by the mid-2010s, these undoubtedly outstanding machines were already quite outdated.
TsNIITOCHMASH began development of the self-propelled gun 2C42 “Lotos” in 2015, after the design of another self-propelled gun 2C36 “Zauralets-D” did not pass preliminary tests. The program was implemented quickly and the sample was presented two years later at the Army-2017 forum. Design work was completed in 2018. Serial production was planned to start in 2020, but due to a number of reasons, the deadline was postponed.
Airborne fire support
The combat weight of the “Lotus” is significantly greater than that of the “Nona”: 18 tons against eight. But they retain the ability to land with a parachute. For unification with other air equipment, the BMD-4M chassis was taken as a basis. Due to the need to install new large units, the body is elongated, the layout and level of protection do not change.
The crew consists of four people. Each has its own hatch and monitoring devices. The positions of the commander and surveyor are equipped with modern optical-electronic sighting devices.
The dome was built from scratch. Horizontal guidance – in any direction, elevation angles – from minus four to plus 80 degrees. The gun is a further development of the 120 mm 2A51 with a longer barrel, while still combining the basic qualities and capabilities of a gun, howitzer and mortar. The time to transfer from a marching position to a combat position is 30 seconds, the range is 13 kilometers, the rate of fire is from six to eight shots per minute. An important point: a line of ammunition with great potential for modernization is being developed specifically for this weapon.
In the context of the active use of unmanned aerial vehicles and counter-battery radars, the mobility of artillery equipment comes to the fore. Survival depends on how quickly the self-propelled gun can leave its position. “Lotus” is quite fast in this regard. The 450-horsepower 2B-06-2 diesel engine accelerates the self-propelled gun to 70 kilometers per hour on roads and up to 40 kilometers per hour on rough terrain. The power reserve is 500 kilometers, which is very good for a machine of this mass.
The Achilles heel of the Lotus, like any other air mobile combat machine, is its light bullet-only armor, which does not always protect against large fragments, let alone something more serious. However, this factor does not play a major role in SVO. A kamikaze drone strike on the thin armor of the roof or engine compartment can destroy even a heavy tank. It is possible that “Lotus” will receive a factory anti-cumulative “visor”, with which Russian armored vehicles have been massively equipped in recent months.
An intermediate option
“Lotus” is not the first artillery system developed with the new combat experience in mind. Thus, in October, serial samples of the 2C43 “Malva” wheeled self-propelled howitzer entered service.
The event is significant. Before “Malva”, the barrel artillery guns in the Soviet and Russian armies were towed or chained. The wheelbase gives the gun or howitzer several serious advantages. Such a vehicle is able to quickly turn into position and leave after a few volleys without waiting for an “answer”.
“Malva” has a 152-mm rifled howitzer 2A64 with a barrel length of 47 calibers, identical to the gun of the Msta-S tracked self-propelled gun. Thanks to the abandonment of the turret and armor, the vehicle is significantly lighter (32 tons vs. 42), which makes it easier to transport it by military transport aircraft. The weapon is “omnivorous”: it fires the entire range of 152-mm projectiles, including adjustable ones. However, the range is relatively small – 24 kilometers. The similar French 155 mm wheeled self-propelled gun “Caesar” has 40, the Ukrainian “Bogdana” has 42.
Probably “Malva” is a temporary version of a promising highly mobile howitzer, which will go to the troops while the wheeled modification of the latest self-propelled gun “Coalition-SV” is finalized in the rear. There, the range of high-explosive fragmentation fire is comparable to that of “Caesar” and “Bogdana”. And with a “Coalition” guided projectile, it can strike at a distance of 70 kilometers.
For now, however, it is not clear when the “Coalition” will enter the active army. The same is the case with the promising T-14 tanks, Kurganets-25 infantry fighting vehicles and the Boomerang armored personnel carrier. Mastering the mass production of such complex equipment is an unusual task. So the Russian military-industrial complex is just gaining momentum.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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