Soviet-made Pion (peon) self-propelled howitzers (SPH), which can be armed with nuclear projectiles, have apparently been spotted in Africa, the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports.
The news outlet shared a tweet by a user nicknamed Caesar who published a photo of several 2S7 Pion SPHs, with the caption reading: "I never knew that Angolan [sic] has 2S7 203mm SPH & 240mm MLRS [multiple-launch rocket systems]". The photo's authenticity cannot be immediately confirmed.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta argued that information about the supply of the Pion howitzers to Angola has long been circulated, and that the aforementioned photograph proves the guns are still in service in the southern African nation and are "actively used in drills".
More than 500 such howitzers were produced in the-then Soviet Union before its disintegration in 1991, with several Pion SPHs reportedly delivered to Poland and then-Czechoslovakia in the 1980s.
After the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the Pions were purportedly delivered to Angola, where they were used to counter South Africa's G5 and G6 Rhino self-propelled guns. Between 1975 and 2002, South African troops were actively involved in the civil war in Angola, supporting the nationalist movements of UNITA and FNLA in their struggle against Angola's then-ruling Marxist party MPLA.
The 2S7 Pion, which is touted as the most powerful conventional artillery system in the world, was designed to tackle remote and important enemy targets, including command posts.
The howitzer is armed with a 203mm gun that is capable of firing ordinary, chemical, or nuclear projectiles, with a maximum range of 37.5 kilometres (23.3 miles).