Posted On Friday, 04 February 2022 16:28
The preliminary trials of the 120mm 2S42 Lotos air-droppable self-propelled mortar system will be completed in 2022, the press office of Russia’s Rostec state hi-tech corporation said: “The preliminary trials of the first prototype of the 120mm Lotos self-propelled artillery system designed for the Airborne Force will be completed this year. The date of the state trials will be set by Russia’s Defense Ministry,” the press office said.
2S42 Lotos 120mm self-propelled mortar system (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The Lotos has been created to meet the needs of the Russian Airborne Forces. This artillery system can be used as mortar or howitzer. The breech-loaded mortar is mounted on a chassis based on the Sprut-SDM-1 airborne (BMD-4M) light tank, with a modified compartment for the 120-mm mortar with a high degree of automation for preparing and carrying out firing operations. It weighs 18 tons and its 450 hp 2V-06-2 diesel engine enables it to reach 70 km/h, with a range of at least 500 km. The self-propelled mortar is operated by a crew of four.
It has a rate of fire of six to eight rounds per minute, with a firing range of up to 13 kilometers using rifled rounds. The armor-piercing round penetrates a 600-650 mm steel plate at a range of 1,000 m. It is also compatible with the Kitolov-2M laser-guided rounds. These have a maximum range of 10 km and a hit probability of around 80-90%.
The Lotos is fully amphibious. On the water, it is propelled by two water jets. An Ilyushin Il-76 Candid military transport can carry two of these vehicles that can also be airdropped with the crew on board.
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