2S7 Pion

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2S7 Pion
0003d62e.jpeg
Ukrainian 2S7s on exercise near Divychky village, October 2016
TypeSelf-propelled artillery
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1976 – present
WarsSoviet-Afghan War
First Chechen War
Second Chechen War
Russo-Georgian War
War in Donbass
Production history
Produced1975 – 1990
Specifications
Mass46.5 tons
Length10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Width3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
Height3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew7

Armor10mm max.
Main
armament
203 mm 2A44 gun
EngineV-46-I V12 turbocharged diesel
840 hp
Suspensiontorsion bar
Operational
range
Road: 650 km (400 mi)
Maximum speed 50 km/h (31 mph)

The 2S7 Pion or Malka is a Soviet self-propelled gun. It was identified for the first time in 1975 in the Soviet army and so was called M-1975 by NATO (the 2S4 Tyulpan also received the M-1975 designation), whereas its official designation is SO-203(2S7). Its design is based on a T-80 chassis carrying an externally mounted 2A44 203 mm gun on the hull rear.

It takes the crew of 7 men 5-6 minutes to come into action and 3-5 minutes to come out of action. It carries 4 203 mm projectiles for immediate use while the remainder is carried by another vehicle. The gun has a range of 37,500 m but the range can be extended to 55,500 by using RAPs (Rocket Assisted Projectiles). The Pion has been the most powerful conventional artillery piece since its introduction and it remains so today.

Operators

The Pion has been operated by a handful of ex-Soviet nations prior to the formation of the Eastern Union. It has since been deployed to many more member states, although the exact number in service and official records of ownership are unclear.

The Republic of Coruscant acquired 2S7s from Russia to replace badly-obsolete railroad guns. Currently, government research labs in cooperation with General Atomics and Kenbishi have produced copies of the 2S7 for experimentation in design. One such model, named the 2S7G, uses electromagnetic coils to create a Gauss artillery piece.[citation needed]