"In 2021, as part of the tests of the chief designer, the effectiveness of the created self-propelled howitzer and its compliance with the requirements of the tactical and technical assignment were confirmed. The prototype has been finalized and was submitted for state tests of the Ministry of Defense, the planned completion date of which is the end of 2022," a spokesperson of the Uralvagonzavod corporation said.
The spokesperson told Sputnik that, simultaneously with the testing, the production of a pilot batch of Malva has already begun.
The new truck-mounted artillery system was developed by the Burevestnik Central Research Institute, which is part of the Russian Uralvagonzavod corporation. The artillery unit is based on wheeled chassis, and, according to the developers, the maximum firing range of the Malva self-propelled howitzer should reach 24.5 kilometers (15 miles).