"Baskets" for the war in the Arctic: Why the army of the Russian Federation "Magnolia" and what is known about them

The unique sample was noticed not on the front, but in Perm, where he got into an accident. Defense Express observers were told about the peculiarities of the Russian self -ski and its probable combat use. The authors of the publication point out that Magnolia SUU was created specifically for actions in the Arctic conditions and built on the basis of a double-tied tractor tractor DT-30PM. The front unit includes the driver's cab and the power plant, and the rear - the combat compartment.

Such layout provides high patency with wetlands and snow landscapes, which makes "magnolia" quite effective in the Far North. The two -line chassis has a reservation that provides the crew protection and key nodes of the machine from the main threats on the battlefield. In addition, the design of the chassis is unified with other samples of Arctic equipment, which simplifies the maintenance and repair in the field.

The main weapon of Magnolia is the universal 120 mm gun 2A80, which combines the functions of the gun, howitzer and mortar. This combination provides ample opportunity: the tower "Magnolia" has a circular guide and the angle of lifting from -5 ° to +80 °, which allows to affect both ground and surface goals. Compared to the same CAO 2C31 "Vena" has a new fire control system.

The observers have noted that these SAUs have been produced since 2022, but since then no information about its participation in hostilities against Ukraine. This fact raises the question of the reasons for non -use of this system in the current conflict. One of the possible reasons is the presence of another similar SAU in Russia, 2C31 "vein" that uses the same gun, but on a more common platform.

At the end of 2023, Vienna was spotted as part of Russian troops at the front, although earlier it was delivered mainly for export, in particular to Azerbaijan. Another reason may be related to the Arctic specialization of "Magnolia". Despite military expenses and losses, Russia continues to pay attention to strengthening positions in the Arctic. This can explain the preservation of some equipment developed for such conditions, outside the war zone in Ukraine.