Russia To Deploy New Howitzers To Ukraine's Battlefield: Equipped With Modern Cannons

The Koalitsiya-SV 152mm self-propelled artillery system. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitaly V. Kuzmin)

JAKARTA - Russia will soon deploy its newest howitzer to confront Ukrainian troops in a special military operation, "said head of the state defense industry Rostec.

New Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery unit testing has been completed and mass production has begun, Rostec Chief Sergei Chemezov said in an interview with state news agency RIA.

"I think they will soon appear there (on the battlefield in Ukraine), as howitzers of this class are needed to give the advantage over Western artillery models in terms of firing range," Chemezov said.

Russian news agency TASS reported earlier this month that the Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery unit had been deployed to the front lines in Ukraine.

The Howitzer, which has a shot range of up to 70 kilometers (44 miles) is equipped with a modern 152mm caliber 2A88 gun with a shot speed of more than 10 rounds per minute, as well as a modern system to automate the shooting process. Education, target selection to navigation, according to him.

As previously reported, Rostec last October announced that the latest Koalitsiya self-propelled artillery system has passed state testing and will be mass-produced.

"This is actually a combat robot and this self-propelled artillery weapon has a high level of automation. Its crew is placed in an isolated armored capsule, which is then used to control combat vehicle operations," said Director of Conventional Armed Forces Industry, Ammunition and Special Chemistry Rostec Bekkhan Ozdoyev, quoted from TASS.

"Compared to existing artillery systems, the Koalitsiya-SV system relies on reducing the response time to unplanned targets, which is critical in combat. The success of the country's test completion allows us to begin mass production of these artillery weapons," Ozdoyev added.