The Russian 2S42 Lotos self-propelled artillery gun, which will be presented to foreign buyers at the IDEX 2025 exhibition in the UAE, has a number of advantages, but is not without its drawbacks. This is according to Bulgarian Military.
Unlike conventional self-propelled howitzers, the 2S42 Lotos self-propelled gun can be airdropped with a combat crew inside in a fully combat-ready state from military transport aircraft. The artillery system is suitable for rapid reaction forces.
According to Bulgarian Military author Boyko Nikolov, buyers of the 2S42 Lotos self-propelled gun may be countries looking for rapidly deployable fire support assets.
However, the 2S42 Lotos self-propelled gun raises a number of questions regarding survivability on the battlefield. The gun does not have heavy armor like the Western M109 Paladin or K9 Thunder howitzers, making it vulnerable to ATGMs.
Boyko Nikolov did not rule out that the CAESAR and SH-15 self-propelled guns could also become competitors to the 2S42 Lotos self-propelled gun in the international market.
If Russia positions the 2S42 Lotos self-propelled gun as a cost-effective, mobile fire support asset for airborne forces, it will be able to find buyers.
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