The 2S7 is a Self Propelled Howitzer designated 2S7 Pion (Peony) in Soviet and Russian service, mounting a 203 mm gun on a modified T-80 chassis for long-range artillery fire. Introduced in the mid-1970s, it was one of the most powerful conventional artillery pieces of the Cold War and remains in use; the 2S7M Malka variant improved rate of fire and ammunition handling. The vehicle weighs 46.5 tonnes and is crewed by six — driver, gunner, commander, and three passengers for ammunition handling — on a tracked hull. A V-46-I diesel produces 840 horsepower for 18.1 hp/t and a top speed of 50 km/h forward and 4 km/h reverse.
The 203mm 2A44 gun fires a variety of HE and rocket-assisted projectiles with low, medium, and high charges (e.g. 3VO15, 3VOF34, 2VG11); reload is 25 seconds and only four rounds are carried on the vehicle. The gun has minimal traverse (5 deg/s) and elevation from near horizontal to 60°, with a simple 1x sight and fire control system and no laser rangefinder. Armour is thin, as the vehicle is intended to fire from positions well behind the forward edge.
