New weapon of the Russian Armed Forces against the Armed Forces of Ukraine: what it is, dimensions, what it can do

The Russian Armed Forces (RF Armed Forces) plan to use the latest self-propelled artillery as part of a special military operation (SVO). Plans to use new weapons against the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are reported by the Polish publication Interia.

We are talking about the 2S42 Lotos airborne floating self-propelled artillery gun. The self-propelled artillery unit was first presented in 2017, and its state tests were scheduled for the spring of 2024.

Hard times predicted for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Poland

The material says that the Lotus has a mass of no more than 28 tons, a power reserve of at least 500 kilometers. The maximum speed of the SAO is 70 kilometers per hour. The vehicle fires at a distance of up to 13 kilometers and can fire both artillery shells and mines. Lotus can also launch new guided missiles with a range of 25 kilometers.

SAO 2S42 “Lotos” is suitable for parachute landing, and it can also pass through water obstacles. The machine, which was developed by specialists from the Central Scientific Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TSNIITOCHMASH), was supposed to replace the Nona-S artillery and mortar installations in the army.

According to journalists from the Polish publication, before this there was no material about Lotus on the Internet. Journalists conclude that this weapon will appear in the Northern Military District zone for the first time in history. In photographs that appeared on the Internet, self-propelled artillery is protected from kamikaze drones. “Tough times are coming for Ukrainian soldiers,” Interia experts concluded.

What other weapons will appear in the SVO zone?

On March 26, it became known that the Rostec state corporation supplied modified remote control platforms for a tank machine gun to the Northern Military District zone, which make it possible to turn machine guns into a robotic system. The products allow you to observe the target in real time and conduct targeted shooting, being at a great distance from the weapon.

In addition, a drone was sent to the SVO zone, which explodes when it hits the enemy. We are talking about the Joker-10 FPV drone. It explodes when it hits the enemy, is turned on remotely and can therefore wait in ambush for a month. The device has a hibernator, which allows you to turn the device on and off from a distance, de-energizing it, and not just stopping the motors.

In March, the Russian military used a new “miracle bomb” in the North Military District – the D-30SN universal interspecific glide munition (UMPG). The diameter of the projectile is 30 centimeters. Its base is described as a tube on which the wings are attached. Inside are control and satellite homing systems, as well as more than 100 kilograms of explosives.