The unique Magnolia self-propelled mortar has begun to be mass-produced by Russia, according to comments that this is a preparatory move by Moskva when the conflict nations in ukraine russian the winter phase.
In the winter, when the traffic conditions on the battlefield became bad, the Russian Army in Ukraine military time urgently needed a weapon with high mobility on icy or muddy terrain like the Magnolia self-propelled mortar.
Russia’s largest tank factory UralVagonZavod has begun mass production of a new generation of self-propelled mortars (SPMs) Magnolia, Army Recognition and military time zulu reports.
The 120 mm Magnolia self-propelled mortar system has undergone many successful tests in 2021. The tests were conducted at very low temperatures, showing that it is ready for combat in the harsh conditions of the season. Winter.
Military expert Leonkov from the magazine Armory of the Fatherland commented: “Self-propelled artillery systems like Msta-S or Koalitsiya-SV are not always able to overcome difficult terrain, thereby limiting limited use in difficult conditions, but Magnolia has no problems”.
“Magnolia can operate as a cannon, howitzer or mortar, it can use many different types of ammunition: fragmentation shells, thermobaric shells, incendiary shells and even cluster shells.”
“Combining maneuverability and powerful firepower, there is no weapon similar to Magnolia in the world today. This self-propelled mortar can cause nightmares for Ukrainian soldiers when appearing on the battlefield. “, emphasized Mr. Leonkov.
Magnolia’s outstanding feature is that it uses the DT-30PM crawler chassis, this weapon complex does not have difficulty when crossing different types of terrain, including swamps. In addition, the system also feels confident when operating in ice and snow.
Such outstanding maneuverability is achieved by using the two-link transporter of the DT-30 Vityaz family as the chassis. These four-track tracks are very wide to help create low ground pressure.
Also, combat vehicles can swim to overcome various water obstacles. The powerful engine of 710 horsepower allows it to accelerate to 44 km / h on asphalt. The range reaches 700 km.
At the rear of the off-road vehicle, in the combat compartment, there is a turret layout with a 120 mm caliber 2A80 semi-automatic mortar with a horizontal (azimuth) angle of 360 degrees, elevation (lift) from -5° to +80°.
This universal 120mm self-propelled mortar is capable of using both normal and high-fragmentation ammunition. In the first case, the destruction range will be 7,000 m, in the second case up to 8,500 m.
The number of bullets that the Magnolia self-propelled mortar system carries is 80 rounds, the maximum rate of fire is 10 rounds/minute in suppressive firing mode or 2 rounds/minute when firing moderately, the combat crew consists of 4 members.
To defend against enemy infantry, a remote-controlled machine gun mount can be mounted on the top of the turret, it is unclear if this is a 12.7 mm gun or just 7.62 mm, as well as the number of ammunition for the turret. this weapon.
According to information from the manufacturer, the Magnolia self-propelled gun complex is designed to destroy many different types of targets thanks to its ability to fire controlled bullets, including landing ships, fortifications, and personnel. opponent’s force.
