The 2S7 Pion ("peony") or Malka is a Soviet self-propelled gun. "2S7" is its GRAU designation.
It was identified for the first time in 1975 in the Soviet army and so was called M-1975 by NATO (the 2S4 Tyulpan also received the M-1975 designation), whereas its official designation is SO-203(2S7). Its design is based on a T-80 chassis carrying an externally mounted 2A44 203 mm gun on the hull rear.
It takes the crew of 7 men 5–6 minutes to come into action and 3–5 minutes to come out of action. It carries 4 203 mm projectiles for immediate use while the remainder is carried by another vehicle and it is capable of firing nuclear ammunition of the same calliber. The gun has a range of 37,500 m but the range can be extended to 55,500 m by using RAPs (Rocket Assisted Projectiles). The Pion has also been the most powerful conventional artillery piece since entering service in 1983.
| 2S7 Pion | |
|---|---|
| Type | Self-propelled artillery |
| Place of origin |  Soviet Union |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 46.5 tons |
| Length | 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 3.38 m (11 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 7 |
| | |
| Armor | 10mm max. |
| Main armament | 203 mm 2A44 gun |
| Engine | V-46-I V12 turbocharged diesel 840 hp |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Operational range | Road: 650 km (400 mi) |
| Speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
