Malva
Russia's new 8×8 truck-mounted 152 mm self-propelled howitzer — a cheaper, more mobile addition to the artillery park designed for rapid shoot-and-scoot in the drone-saturated battlefield.
Russia’s first 8×8 wheeled 152 mm self-propelled howitzer — a shoot-and-scoot truck gun built to survive drone-cued counter-battery while costing less than a tracked system.
Overview
The 2S43 Malva is a wheeled 152 mm self-propelled howitzer developed under the Nabrosok program and fielded by the Russian Ground Forces beginning in late 2023. Mounted on an 8×8 truck chassis with an armoured front cab, it carries a 2A64 gun and an autoloader, allowing rapid displacement after firing. The system is designed as a cheaper, more survivable supplement to Russia’s tracked self-propelled artillery, which has suffered severe losses in Ukraine.
Development
The Malva was designed by TsNII Burevestnik and built by Uraltransmash on the BAZ-6010-027 “Voshchina” 8×8 chassis. State trials were completed on 17 May 2023 and the first batch was delivered on 26 October 2023. A second batch followed in June 2024 and a third in July 2024; a larger “mass shipment” was reported in 2025, signalling a push to scale production.
Design & capabilities
The Malva pairs a proven 152 mm 2A64 gun (L/47) with an autoloader that delivers a burst rate of fire of up to 8 rounds per minute and multiple-round simultaneous impact capability. An onboard digital fire-control system with GLONASS navigation enables the crew of five, housed in an armoured front cab, to come into action in about 30 seconds. The 30-round basic load and the ability to fire all Russian-inventory 152 mm ammunition, including the Krasnopol-M1 laser-guided shell, give the weapon flexible firepower.
Official Russian figures credit the gun with a range above 24 km for standard high-explosive projectiles and about 29 km with rocket-assisted rounds. Moscow has also claimed a “newly developed long-range shell” can reach 50 km, though that figure remains unverified. A 2025 report suggested that later production units might use the longer-range 2A36 Giatsint-B gun, but this has not been confirmed.
The wheeled chassis weighs around 32 tonnes, is powered by a ~470 hp engine, and achieves a road speed of about 80 km/h with an operational range of 1 000-1 100 km. These characteristics allow the Malva to displace quickly after firing, complicating the counter-battery targeting that has proved so deadly for towed and slow-moving tracked guns.
Combat record / operational use
The Malva made its combat debut around June 2024 in the Kharkiv region, with Russian Ministry of Defence footage released in December 2024. It is being used as a cheaper, more mobile alternative to the tracked Msta-S, especially in sectors where shoot-and-scoot survival is paramount. The extent of its losses and overall availability remains opaque, but its appearance coincides with a broader Russian effort to field more wheeled artillery in response to high attrition of towed and armoured pieces.
Advantages
- Wheeled 8×8 mobility gives fast shoot-and-scoot, reducing exposure to counter-battery fire.
- Cheaper to build and sustain than a tracked SP howitzer, enabling larger numbers.
- Autoloader and digital fire control permit rapid engagement and MRSI capability.
- Shares ammunition with the wider Russian 152 mm inventory, including precision Krasnopol-M1 rounds.
Drawbacks / limitations
- Open gun mount leaves the weapon and crew partially exposed to fragments and weather.
- Range (24–29 km with standard ammunition) trails the 40 km+ reach of 155 mm/L52 guns fielded by NATO nations.
- Reliance on unverified long-range shells limits its deep-fire potential.
- Light armour outside the cab makes the vehicle vulnerable to direct fire and large drone munitions.
Counterparts
Outlook
The Malva is Russia’s answer to the drone-era artillery duel: a low-cost wheeled gun that can shoot and move. Production is ramping from small batches toward larger series, and the system is likely to absorb some of the missions previously assigned to the costlier and slower-moving tracked Msta-S. Its long-term effectiveness will hinge on whether unverified claims of a 50 km shell materialise and on how well it survives in an environment where even the fastest displacement can be out-manoeuvred by persistent drone surveillance.
Key specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Crew | 5 |
| Combat weight | ~32 t |
| Length / width / height | not publicly established |
| Main armament | 152 mm 2A64 howitzer (~L/47) |
| Secondary armament | not publicly established |
| Armor & protection | Armoured front cab; open gun mount |
| Engine & power | ~470 hp |
| Power-to-weight | ~14.7 hp/t |
| Road / cross-country speed | ~80 km/h (road); not publicly established (cross-country) |
| Operational range | ~1,000–1,100 km |
Sources
- Army Recognition — 2S43 Malva 152mm 8×8 self-propelled howitzer. https://armyrecognition.com/military-products/army/artillery-vehicles-and-weapons/self-propelled-howitzers/2s43-malva
- The Defense Post — Russia Operationalizes Another Batch of Malva Truck-Mounted Artillery. https://thedefensepost.com/2024/08/07/russia-malva-mounted-artillery/
- Militarnyi — Russian troops receive new batch of 2S43 Malva 152mm wheeled self-propelled artillery systems. https://militarnyi.com/en/news/russian-troops-receive-new-batch-of-2s43-malva-152mm-wheeled-self-propelled-artillery-systems/
- United24 Media — New Russian Malva howitzers spotted in mass shipment amid Russian push for cheaper firepower. https://united24media.com/latest-news/new-russian-malva-howitzers-spotted-in-mass-shipment-amid-russian-push-for-cheaper-firepower-7341