Rolevery heavy long-range artillery
Main weapon / system203 mm 2A44 gun
Platform / layoutlarge tracked chassis with externally mounted rear gun
MediaPrimary image integrated
Development and design
The huge 203 mm gun is mounted openly at the rear of a long tracked chassis, with a large spade and suspension lockout absorbing recoil. The improved Malka incorporated fire-control and handling changes while retaining the same fundamental weapon. 1, 2
Operational use
2S7 systems served in Soviet strategic and high-level artillery formations and remained in Russian and other inventories after the Cold War. 1, 2
Role and significance
Pion/Malka represents the extreme end of tracked tube artillery: low rate of fire and limited onboard ammunition accepted in exchange for very heavy projectiles and long-range effects. 1, 2
Sources and further reading
Representative source set used for this profile. Primary image source and reuse terms are listed with the image.