According to Joseph P. Chacko in Frontier India, Russia has begun mass production of its newest arctic artillery system nicknamed “Magnolia”, produced by Uralvagonzavod (UVZ), part of Rostec. In the Autumn and winter of 2021, the system was successfully tested in cold temperatures in northern latitudes. Artillery units deployed in the Arctic and the Extreme North will receive Magnolias.
In 2017, the head of the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Nikolai Parshin, announced the development of the 120-mm Magnolia self-propelled artillery gun on the chassis of an armored two-link tracked carrier and Tor-M2DT anti-aircraft missile system on the DT-30PM snow and swamp vehicle.
The first reports about the Magnolia project appeared in 2018. The Magnolia’s features were revealed for the first time at the Army-2019 international military-technical event when the developer presented promotional materials for self-propelled weapons for inspection. The first Self Propelled Gun model was on display during Army-2020.
The Burevestnik Central Research Institute designed it in the framework of Nabrosok R&D, which also produced 2S41 Drok self-propelled mortar and 2S40 Flox gun. It was reported that an artillery weapon on a two-section transporter was designed with a universal 120 mm gun. The 2A80 gun of Magnolia can operate as a howitzer, a mortar, and a cannon. The cannon can fire high-explosive, fragmentation, incendiary, thermobaric, cluster, etc. projectiles up to 8.5 km away, and the range may be extended to 10 km when employing guided rockets. The rate of fire is ten rounds per minute and an ammo load counts 80 rounds.
The self-propelled artillery system Magnolia is built on the armored two-link tracked carrier DT-30PM chassis. The combat compartment is mounted on a two-section tracked platform of an upgraded Vityaz DT-30PM snow-and-swamp-going vehicle. The front section with a five-roadwheel chassis carries the driver’s cabin, power plant units, and system elements. The back six-roadwheel chassis carries the combat compartment borrowed from Vena 2S31 self-propelled mortar. The turret design provides round-view horizontal gun laying. Magnolia can fire all types of 120mm mortar munitions and effectively fulfil a broad range of missions. It operates like a cannon for direct fire and as a howitzer and mortar from closed positions. The two-section undercarriage provides all-terrain capacity in marshlands and hard-of-access areas.
It has a carrying capacity of 10 tonnes and weighs 27.5 tonnes. It is driven by an 800-horsepower B-46-5C diesel engine, allowing the system to attain a maximum speed of 45 km/h. On the water, the vehicle may reach 6 km/h. The range is claimed to be 700 kilometers.
