KUBINKA, August 10 Testing of the Lotos self-propelled artillery gun should begin this year, said Alan Lushnikov, president of the Kalashnikov concern, answering a question .
«We are starting testing this year. The R&D work was opened, we need to complete it,» he said.
A demonstration of the concern's newest weapons took place on Saturday in Patriot Park.
The one hundred and twenty-millimeter self-propelled artillery gun «Lotos», which is being replaced in the artillery units and units of the Airborne Forces of the SAO «Nona», was developed by the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering of the Kalashnikov concern.
«Lotos» is one and a half times larger than the SAO «Nona-SM» «in terms of firing range with standard high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, transportable ammunition and the characteristics of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile.
The gun is equipped with an automated guidance system, mechanized stowage of ammunition, which simplifies the work of the loader, has a significantly higher level of armor protection for the crew, circular rotation of the turret ensures guidance fire in a range of 360 degrees horizontally. The Lotos also has other advantages compared to the Nona-SM gun.
