The Russian 2S42 Lotus self-propelled artillery gun (SPH), 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 Lotus SPH 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 Lotus SPH may be countries looking for rapidly deployable fire support assets.
However, the 2S42 Lotus SPH 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 SPH and the SH-15 SPH could also be competitors to the 2S42 Lotus SPH in the international market.
If Russia positions the 2S42 Lotus SPH as a cost-effective, mobile fire support asset for airborne forces, it will be able to find buyers.
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