Army-2021: Russia to launch production of next-generation artillery systems.

The production of the latest Floks self-propelled mortar system and Magnolia self-propelled artillery gun may begin in late 2022 and early 2023, the press office of the Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer (part of Rostec).

Floks 120mm self-propelled howitzer (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"The mass production of these models [the Floks and Magnolia guns] will begin after the completion of the state trials in late 2022 - early 2023, provided that the state customer makes the corresponding decision", Uralvagonzavod’s press office said on 27 August. Currently, the prototypes of the 120mm Floks self-propelled wheeled artillery system and the 120mm Magnolia self-propelled artillery gun based on the DT-30PM two-section tracked armored chassis are at the final stage of preliminary trials.

On February 7, 2020,  after having come back on the topic on June 18, 2021, Army Recognition published that the trials of the advanced Floks and Magnolia artillery systems and the Drok mortar developed by Russia’s Burevestnik Central Research Institute would be completed within the next 18 months. The serial production of the systems would be launched at the same time. The Burevestnik Central Research Institute is a subsidiary of the Uralvagonzavod Corporation within the Rostec state hi-tech corporation.

"Within the next 18 months, there are plans to complete the trials of the 82mm Drok self-propelled mortar, the 120mm Floks self-propelled artillery system mounted on the truck chassis and the Magnolia 120mm self-propelled gun based on the chassis of an armored tracked two-section carrier," the press office said. "During this period, the serial production of the systems will begin," the press office added.

In November 2019, Army Commander-in-Chief General of the Army Oleg Salyukov said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper that work was nearing completion to develop a whole range of high-mobility artillery and mortar systems based on various types of chassis, including those designed for operations in the Arctic. According to him, they will enhance the mobility and fire capabilities of battalion-level artillery.

Under the Nabrosok R&D work, the Burevestnik Central Research Institute has developed the Floks and Magnolia artillery systems and the Drok mortar. The Floks is mounted on the chassis of the Ural truck, the 120mm Magnolia is based on a tracked two-section chassis for operations in soft-soil terrain, and the Drok is based on the chassis of the Taifun-K. 

Magnolia 120mm self-propelled artillery system based on a tracked articulated amphibious all-terrain vehicle (Picture source: Uralvagonzavod)

Army-2021: