Unmanned aircraft reveals 2S43 Malwa. - New Russian artillery system found in warzone
A fresh self-propelled howitzer of the Russian military has surfaced for the first time in the conflict zone, according to media accounts. Notably, the pro-Ukrainian website Militarnyi states that a recording drone found the latest wheeled artillery structure, 2S43 Malwa, in the Russian border area of Belgorod. This location is serving as a launchpad for attacks on Kharkiv region at present. On the web, a brief video is circulating that depicts the operational functionality of the 2S43 Malwa. Although it is not certain if it's the exact same model. This video is suggested to have been recorded on the front in Kharkiv.
The 2S43 Malwa, a truck-mounted self-propelled howitzer, is developed by the defense organization Uraltransmash, which is part of the state-owned Rostec enterprise. The project was kickstarted in the 2010s. Per Kommersant's articles, the Russian army acquired the first batch of these howitzer self-propelled guns in October 2023 following three years of testing. The total number manufactured and distributed is currently unknown.
The 2S43 Malwa features a 152-millimeter howitzer on top of a truck. Its cannon barrel is also utilized on the tracked self-propelled howitzer Msta-S. The maximal range is stated as 29 kilometers, which is shorter than other wheeled howitzers. For example, the greatest measurement of the Ukrainian 2S22 Bohdana is 50 kilometers. The French Caesar shoots up to 70 kilometers with precision-guided ammunition.
This artillery system is a significant advancement for Russia's military
For Russia's army that traditionally favors tracked self-propelled howitzers, the 2S43 Malwa represents a major breakthrough. A Russian war propagandist, as cited by the ISW in May 2023, urged the inclusion of the wheeled howitzer, expressing, "as the Russian military doesn't have any self-propelled artillery on wheels". Contrasting to tracked self-propelled howitzers, wheel-based vehicles are typically cheaper to produce and maintain. Moreover, they have a better speed and range - two crucial elements in present-day artillery clashes.
