During a military parade that was held on May 9, 2021, in Nizhny Novgorod, located at the confluence of the Oka and the Volga rivers in Central Russia, the Russian army showed for the first time to the public the new 2S43 Malva, a 152mm 8x8 wheeled self-propelled howitzer.
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New Russian-made 2S43 Malva 152mm 8x8 self-propelled howitzer at a military parade in Nizhny Novgorod. (Picture source VK Военный Осведомитель)
The 2S43 is a new Russian-made 152mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer developed by the Central Research Institute "Burevestnik", part of Russian company Uralvagonzavod. The first 2S43 Malva images appeared in 2019. It was presented at the Army-2020 forum at a closed display.
The 2S43 Malva is based on the BAZ-6010-027 8x8 military truck chassis with a two-door crew cabin at the front and the gun-mounted artillery system located at the rear. This new Russian artillery system is armed with one 152mm gun 2A64 cannon which is also used on the tracked self-propelled howitzer 2S19 MSTA-S.
The 2S43 Malva gun weapon system has a 47 caliber barrel with a three-chamber muzzle brake, an ejector, and advanced recoil devices. Elevation and traverse is hydraulic with manual controls being provided as a backup. For indirect usual firing, elevation ranges from -3° to +70° with traverse being 30° left and right.
The 2S43 Malva carries 30 rounds of separate-case loading and is transported in boxes on the platform. The transfer of shells and casings to the breech is carried out manually by calculation forces. The gun has a maximum firing range of 24.5 km with conventional ammunition with a rate of fire of 7 rounds per minute.
The S243 Malva has a combat weight of 32 tons with a length of 13 m, a width of 2.75 m, and a height of 3.1 m. It has a crew of five.
According to information published by the Russian press agency TASS in September 2021, the Russian Ministry of Defense has concluded the first preliminary trials. The all-aspect test program, including state trials, is set to be completed in 2022 and the Malva might enter serial production after 2023.
