Kharkov MT-LB Mortar Carrier

     Notes:  This is a rather common mortar vehicle in Russian service, former Soviet Republics, and former Soviet client states, though in Russian service it is primarily found in Category 3 and Mobilization-Only units.  It is an MT-LB armored personnel carrier with an 82mm or 120mm Pact mortar mounted in the passenger area (the exact type depends on the country of service). Several countries have built similar vehicles, whether ad hoc or with more purposeful modifications. These vehicles can therefore be found in almost all corners of the globe. However, a more common “MT-LB Mortar Vehicle” is actually a mortar or Vasilyek that is towed by the MT-LB (though this is not what is discussed here).

     Whether armed with an 82mm or 120mm mortar, some features of the MT-LB Mortar Carriers are common, as are design features dictated by the MT-LB chassis.  A baseplate for ground-mounting of the mortar is carried on the lower nose of the vehicle; unfortunately, the size of a 120mm mortar’s baseplate is such that the MT-LB is too nose-heavy to swim and the vehicle is robbed of its amphibious capability.  Strapped to the sides of the carrier are a bipod, and aiming stakes, and until the 1990s, the MT-LB Mortar Carrier carried a selection of maps and plotting boards to calculate coordinates and settings. The mortar fires over the rear of the vehicle, though the mortar can be rotated up to 60 degrees right or left.  For the most part, the interior of the MT-LB is filled with ammunition racks, though there is no autoloader.  The mortar is fired it’s out a rectangular, two-part hatch on the rear deck.  The commander’s station is generally a skate mount on a circular hatchway which unfortunately has only two wide-angle vision blocks front and rear, though he can also see out of the small vision block on the right side of the MT-LB.  The commander’s hatch is above a seat which has a windshield in front and can have a shield lowered over it to increase protection.  The commander has a vision block that contains a night vision device, and can be used if he is in his seat. The commander is normally armed with an NSVT, DShK, or Kord heavy machinegun, but some MT-LB Mortar Carriers have been seen with a ZU-23 as commander’s armament.

     The driver of the MT-LB Mortar Carrier has the same position in the front left of the vehicle, with three vision blocks to his front.  The middle vision block can be removed and replaced with a night vision block. A small aisle between the commander and driver gives access to the mortar compartment.  The mortar compartment has two large doors in the rear face, generally used for ammunition replenishment, and four firing ports, one of which are in each side and one of which is in each rear door.  These firing ports are difficult to use due to limited space, and as a result MT-LB Mortar crews are normally issued AKSs, AKMSs, or AKS-74s, with the folding stock being easier to use within the confines of the mortar carrier. MT-LB Mortar Carriers also have a very good heating system, as one of the roles the MT-LB series was designed for was to replace several over-the-snow vehicles used in Arctic and Siberian conditions.  The crewmembers in the rear have modest seats in rather cramped spaces. The MT-LB Mortar Carrier has a cluster of four smoke grenade launchers on the lower glacis above the front fenders.

     The MT-LB Mortar Carrier is powered by a 240-horsepower YaMZ-238 diesel engine.  This engine, while only modest in power for an armored vehicle, generates considerable torque and the MT-LB Mortar Carrier is capable of towing 3.3 tons. An engine upgrade in the early 1990s gave the MT-LB series a 290-horsepower engine and an automatic transmission, along with improved driver’s controls.  Most versions of the MT-LB variants fielded after this point include these improvements, and some older versions were also re-engined. Other improvements include a mortar ballistic computer and a data-capable long-range radio, along with maps kept on a minicomputer instead of having the collection of paper maps. Like most Soviet-designed vehicles of the period, the MT-LB Mortar Carrier’s suspension is of conventional torsion bars and has shock absorbers on the first and last set of roadwheels.  Construction of the MT-LB Mortar Carrier is largely of steel and armor is rather thin, especially on the sides and rear.

Motovilikha 2S9 NONA-S Anona

     Notes: The Anona (Anemone) is intended for indirect and direct fire support for Airborne, Air Assault, and Naval Infantry; it was first seen by the West in 1985. NONA-S is the name of the turret and mortar system; the entire vehicle together is the 2S9 Anona.  The 2S9 is primarily in use by former Soviet Republic and Russia; few of the Afghani Anonas are still functional.  (Right now, the international arms market is saturated with turreted mortar vehicles; sales of them are difficult.)  The Anona’s parent chassis is the BTR-D, and it shares many of the characteristics of that vehicle. Motovilikha has indicated they are able to mate the turret to many other AFVs, though only this vehicle and the 2S23 actually use these turrets. A modified form of the turret on the 2S9 is mounted on the BTR-80-based 2S23 mortar vehicle; the two turrets primarily in the fit of the turret to each vehicle.

     The Anona is essentially a BTR-D airborne combat vehicle topped with a large turret mounting a 120mm breech-loading mortar.  The traverse of the turret is limited to 35 degrees left or right of center and the mortar may be fired in direct fire or indirect fire modes, though the sights and computers/software are more suited for indirect fire roles.  The driver is in the front center of the vehicle with the commander to his left.  The turret has a hatch for the gunner; this hatch sometimes has a weapon mount, but this is a rare modification.  The gunner and loader can use the loader’s hatch.  The interior is almost painfully cramped; in addition, ammunition storage is quite small, and the Anona absolutely relies upon support vehicles to conduct anything more than a small bombardment.  The Anona is reloaded from the ground or a support vehicle through a small spring-loaded hatch behind the turret, and the Anona carries a conveyor system which can be set up to quickly replenish the Anona’s ammunition supply or keep up a sustained bombardment. Once emplaced, the vehicle can fire at 6-8 rounds per minute, but with few electronic or mechanical aids, getting into or out of action takes 30 seconds with a trained crew.  The Anona uses a medium-length barreled breech-loaded mortar which is manually-fed, and uses rounds designed specifically for the 2A60 gun/mortar.  When firing, the Anona’s suspension is raised to its highest level to provide a more stable firing platform.

     The crew is protected by an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC backup. The driver is in the center front hull, with the engine in the rear.  The Anona does not have all the machineguns of the BTR-D, but it does retain most of the BTR-D’s mechanical attributes. Night vision is provided for everyone except the loader. The engine is 270-horsepower 5D-20 diesel engine, giving the Anona good power for its light weight; the transmission is manual. Armor protection is surprisingly good given the light weight; however, since the base chassis is a BTR-D,the Soviets used magnesium alloy for the armor, which could go up like a Roman candle when hit.  The suspension is the same as on the BTR-D; it is a variable-height hydropneumatic suspension that allows the Anona to “squat” when being carried in aircraft and being airdropped.  The roadwheels are likewise small, and the tracks are a mere 230mm wide.  A side-effect of this suspension appears to be a relatively decent ride.  The Anona is amphibious with a little preparation – a trim vane must be erected, bilge pumps turned on, and a periscope must be inserted into a socket and extended by the driver.  The bilge pump has a manual backup. This takes 10 minutes.  Propulsion in the water is by hydrojets. The hydrojets have shutters which allow for surprising maneuverability when swimming – the BMD-1 can turn a complete circle in place while floating.  This is aided by the hydrojets’ being able to suck in water as well as expel it.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Small quantities of the Anona were also sold to Vietnam, North Korea, Myanmar, and Iran in the years before the Twilight War.

Motovilikha 2S23 NONA-SVK

     Notes:  The 2S23 is a turret almost identical to that of the 2S9, but placed on chassis of the BTR-80 wheeled APC instead.  The 2S23 was first revealed in international arms shows near the end of the Cold War in 1990.  The 2S23 is meant to be a battalion-level asset in both wheeled and track-mobile formations. The turret of the 2S23 is updated from that of the 2S9, and it is a somewhat more capable vehicle for both direct and indirect fires.  However, the Russians, who are undertaking production at a low rate, primarily assign their 2S23s to Air Assault formations, and they are also capable of being airdropped.  The Chinese have also taken delivery of a number of 2S23 (NONA-SVK) turrets, mounting them on variants of their own vehicles.  The Russians have had the 2S23 in service since 1990; the Chinese were taking deliveries of NONA-SVK turrets in 2010. The Venezuelans are also in the process of receiving a force of 2S23s, and these have a number of extra features over a standard 2S23. The future of the 2S23 may be in doubt, however, as there is presently a glut of such mortar vehicles.

     The NONA-SVK turret is not a heavy turret as turrets go, nor are the internal modifications necessary for its use, and the resulting 2S23 is not greatly heavier than the base BTR-80.  Equipped with a 2A60 gun/mortar, the 2S23 is capable of both direct and indirect fire.  The 2S23 has more advanced fire control for both direct fire and indirect fire roles.  The gun is capable of firing any of its rounds in direct fire, to provide quick cracking of strongpoints or other targets. The rounds used by the 2S23 are generally designed for use with the NONA-SVK gun, but Western 120mm mortar ammunition can also be fired if they can be fired from a rifled tube.  The NONA-SVK, like the NONA-S of the 2S9, does not carry a large onboard amount of ammunition, and is dependent upon ammo support vehicles for most purposes.  Replenishing the 2S23 goes through a small, spring-loaded hatch directly behind the turret; the 2S23 carries a conveyer system to allow it to feed from a ground pile of a vehicle (though troops must put the rounds on the conveyor manually).The 2S23 has a semiautomatic autoloader; the autoloader delivers the rounds to a forward chute end, which must then be manually loaded into the breech-loading NONA-SVK.  The 2S23 has somewhat better electronics and sighting gear, including a mortar ballistic computer, equipment to receive (and send, if necessary) encrypted positional and enemy position data, as well as general firing and movement commands.  Maps are handled through a mapping computer that can keep track of where the vehicle is (using a minor variant of inertial navigation).

     Unlike the 2S9, the commander has a cupola which mounts a light machinegun, though the machinegun cannot be aimed and fired when buttoned up.  The other crewmembers have no way to provide fire except by popping up with their assault rifles from two rear deck hatches.  Firing ports are removed, as are the left and right hatches.  The 2S23 has the same laser-detection and defense gear; the smoke grenade launchers, however, are in an unusual position, being on the right side of the turret roof with two clusters of four as well as a line of four underneath those two clusters. The windows and windshields, as well as vision blocks, are twice as strong as normal, being equivalent to the AV of the part of the in question. The armor is a little heavier, especially in the floor, which is reinforced against mines and the wheels and suspension, which are likewise strengthened.  The front of the vehicle has spaced armor, and the nose is a little longer as a result.  Perhaps the greatest change is in the powerplant; the 2S23 is powered by a single KamAZ-7403 260-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine, which, though the 2S23 has a manual transmission, greatly decreases the difficulty of the driver’s task as well as greatly simplifying the transmission and drive train, and increasing reliability. Suspension is 8x8 and of the off-road-type, with run-flat tires. The 2S23 is amphibious with preparation; when floating, a waterjet at the rear is turned on, though it is a bit more dangerous than swimming a BTR-80 due to the greater weight and higher center of gravity.  The BTR-80 has an NBC overpressure system with collective NBC backup, and radiological shielding. The BTR-80 has a winch in the front with a capacity of 4.5 tons and 60 meters of cable.

*Floor Armor for the 2S23 is 4.

Motovilikha 2S31 Vena

     Notes:  This is a 120mm mortar/howitzer vehicle based on the BMP-3C chassis.  (Motovilikha states that it is capable of mating the Vena’s turret to a wide variety of other vehicles, but so far they have shown the Vena system only with a BMP-3 chassis.) The Vena is currently offered both for domestic military use and for export, though the Russian and Ukrainian Armies have only bought enough for field testing as of March 2013, and the few export sales have been similarly small.

     The Vena fires mortar ammunition of either Bloc or NATO-compatible types; the gun fires new ammunition as well as the ammunition of the 2S9 and 2S23 and ammunition of Western make.  The Vena’s mortar/howitzer is unusual for it’s type in that it is equipped with a fume evacuator. The standard turret of the BMP-3 is removed and replaced with a much larger one mounting the mortar/howitzer.  The vehicle has an automatic survey and orientation system, and the vehicle can fire accurately without input from an FDC if the target location is known, within 7 minutes of a halt. The Vena also has a GPS with inertial navigation backup as well as a mapping computer. Once the coordinates of the target are inputted, the vehicle’s weapon automatically lays itself on target, waiting for a fire command. Modes of fire such as traversing fire or bracketing may also be inputted into the fire control computer, with the mortar/howitzer relaying itself between shots. The vehicle is equipped with all the sensors of the BMP-3 and uses them for direct fire purposes. The Vena also has a laser detection system that automatically launches smoke grenades in the direction of the enemy laser; there are clusters of six smoke grenade launchers on the left and right front of the turret for this purpose and for general screening.  The commander's machinegun may be aimed and fired from under armor. It should be noted that the Vena does have an autoloader, though only one type of ammunition (HE, WP) can be hooked up to the autoloader at any one time.  The Vena does not have the bow machineguns of the BMP-3.

     The roof hatches have been removed, and the rear hatches are replaced with a single downward-opening hatch on the left rear.  There is also a hatch in the rear of the turret for ammunition loading, and a commander's cupola on the right side of the turret. The cupola gives the commander 360-degree vision blocks as well as one in the center front which has a wide-angle view and has an independent image intensifier and IR viewer. The gunner and loader use the commander’s hatch or the rear hatch to enter and exit the Vena.   The Vena has an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC backup, and also has an air conditioner and heater.  The standard ventilation system also filters out particles like dust and smoke.   The driver of the Vena sits in the center front of the vehicle, with the engine and transmission to his front in a unified powerpack.  He has three vision blocks, and the center block can be removed and replaced with a night vision block.  His controls are a conventional steering yoke with a gas and brake pedal; the transmission is automatic.  The engine of the Vena is a 500-horsepower UTD-29M turbocharged diesel. Each roadwheel on the Vena has separate hydropneumatic suspension elements, giving the Vena a ride that is remarkably smooth compared to most Russian tracked vehicles. The Vena is amphibious with preparation (a trim vane must be extended at the front and a bilge pump turned on); once in the water, propulsion is switched to hydrojets until the tracks touch ground again on the other side of the water obstacle.  The Vena shares the BMP-3’s lack of freeboard when swimming, as well as the lack of maneuverability while swimming.  The long barrel of the mortar/howitzer simply makes this worse, as it tends to cause the Vena to tip forward. The Vena can employ the Drozd, Shtora-1, or Arena APS, as well as appliqué armor or ERA. The Vena also has the luxury in a combat zone of a chemical toilet inside the vehicle, something normally found only in high-level command vehicles.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle does not exist.

     Merc 2000 Notes: This vehicle did not fare well in the budget-conscious Merc 2000 Russia.

*Belly armor for the Vena is 6.

Uraltransmash SM-240 (2S4) Tyul’pan

     Notes:  These heavy self-propelled mortars have been in service with the Russian Army since 1975, and later with Iraq and Lebanon.  The Czechs used them until 1991, when they retired then; in most cases, their 2S4s were scrapped.  After the invasion of Iraq and before that, the 1991 Gulf War, all Iraqi 2S4s have been destroyed and/or scrapped. The Syrians received possibly as many as 64 of these mega-mortars, and have been using them lately on the populace in their terror campaign/civil war.  The Russians still have them in active service, but expect to retire them by 2016.  The simple fact is that the 2S4s glacial rate of fire (1 round per minute, corresponding to 1 round per twelve phases in T2K v2.2), and the relative level of warhead power it can bring to the fight (modern mobile 120mm mortars can produce as much fire power due to their much higher rates of fire), and it’s lack of mobility, mean that the 2S4 is out of date.  The 2S4’s only real capability that the other mortars don’t have is the dubious capability to fire a small tactical nuclear weapon (I’ve heard ranges from 0.1 kT to 10 kT). The capability of firing a nuclear warhead is the primary reason that the 2S4 is regimental and higher command asset; a sergeant on a Russian equivalent of a FIST team can’t except to receive fire support from a 2S4. When first seen by the West, it was given the NATO designation of M-1975 (at the 2S7 Pion were also given the designation M-1975 at about the same time, the 2S4 was changed to SM-240).

     The chassis is a modified version of the chassis used for the SA-4 SAM and the 2S3 howitzer.  The driver is seated to the front left, the driver in front and commander behind him in a cupola with a light machinegun.  As a 2S4 crew does not normally expect enemy ground attack (as they are far from the front and are a part of a unit that includes plenty of supporting troops), machinegun ammunition is lacking. The two other crewmen are seated in the rear.  (Five other crewmen are transported in another vehicle, usually an MT-LB configured to carry ammunition.)  The 2S4 commander has no night vision except for a pair of goggles, but he does have an IR searchlight. Both positions have all-around vision blocks. The 2B8 mortar is carried over the deck of the vehicle when traveling and is lowered to the rear before firing (getting a SB8 mortar into action can take as much as 10 minutes, and out of action again as much as 15).  The mortar is breech-loaded from two 20-round magazines by an automatic loader. 

     The mortar component of the 2S4 is the 2B8 240mm mortar, with a length of 27 calibers.  That is so large that it must be carried folded and lowered over the top of the vehicle, and raised to firing position. Then the magazines must be rotated into position (provided that they are loaded; reloading an empty 2B8 magazine can take 15 minutes with an experience, trained crew).  Few warheads have been designed for the 2B8, and they are essentially sledgehammers, HE-FRAG shells and HE-FRAG-RAP rounds, or large chemical shells. (The other possible round is, as mentioned, a Nuclear round of various yields.)  The 2B8 can also fire the Smel’chak GAMP using a specially-designed sabot. The 2B8 has elevation ranges from +50 to +80, with a traverse of 10 degrees left or right.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Soviets maintained their inventory of 2S4s as much as possible; though the 2B8 has its limitations, the 2S4 is easy to build.  However Soviet production, as well as the mortars themselves, were targeted early on for NATO airstrikes, usually by stealth aircraft.  Most Iraqi 2S4s were destroyed by special operations units, often by the simple expedient of firing .50 caliber sniper rifles several times through the barrels, magazines, and breeches. Lebanese 2S4s typically suffered from attrition due to lack of care.  The Czech continued with their retirement plans and started the war without any Czech 2S4s.