The_Soviet_Army_troops_organization_and_equi

The 2S7 is an unturreted gun mounted on a long, tracked chassis. It has seven evenly spaced, T-80-typeroad wheels and six support rollers. The drive sprocket is a t the front of the suspension. The idler wheel at the rear can he lowered hydraulically all the way to the ground, along with the large, dozer blade-like spade on the rear of the vehicle; this gives the SP gun increased stability during firing.

The boat-like bow projects far beyond the front of the suspension. Extending across the entire width of the bow is an armored cab for the driver and crew. The cab has two windows, which can be covered with steel shutters; it also has an NBC collective protection system. Located directly b e hind the cab is the engine compartment, with rectangular exhaust vents on both sides of the hull.

The massive gun tube is mounted well to the rear, extending far beyond the front of the vehicle. In travel position, it is secured by a tie-down ring attached to the center of the cab roof. The tube has no muzzle brake but has a slight thickening at the muzzle. Above and below the rear of the gun tube are the recoil cylinder and recuperator. The power-assisted loading mechanism is on the right side of the breech; the gunner sits on the left side of the breech; and the cannonier services the gun from a platform on the left rear of the vehicle. A radio antenna is mounted atop the left side of the hull, roughly above the fifth road wheel.

CAPABILITIES:

The 2S7 is organic to the high-powered artillery brigade, which may be allocated to a front.

3-mm Self-Propelled Gun 2S7 (continued)

gun has a maximum range of 37,500 meters a n extended range of 50,000 meters. It can nuclear projectiles, as well as other ammunitypes.

IITATIONS:

'he open gun mount provides no protection for four-man crew in firing position.

REMARKS:

The West first observed the 2S7 in 1975. It had

the provisional designation M1975. It replaced the older 203-mm howitzer M1931 (B-4M) in high-

powered artillery brigades. In some cases, the 2S7 may also be organic to the artillery division at front level; for example, in WGF. The 2S7 chassis may derive from the same type chassis a s the heavy tracked artillery tractor MT-T. It i s also similar to the SA-12 SAM system vehicle.

The 82-mmautomatic mortar 2B9 differs vastly from earlier mortars in its appearance. I t uses a conventional artillery carriage with split trails a n d a n emplacement jack located a t the front. I n t h e firing position, the jack is lowered and the

wheels pivot forward, lifting off the ground. This permits the three-mancrew to rapidly traverse and

shift the fires of the weapon. The GAZ-66 truck m a y tow or carry the mortar.

CAPABILITIES:

The 2B9 is breech-loaded with ammunition fed automatically from 4-round ammunition clips. I t can also he hand-loaded. I n the photo above, the l o a d e r i n t h e foreground i s holding o n e clip; another clip is already on the loading tray on the right of the mortar.

The 2B9 has a maximum range of 5,000 meters,

chemical rounds. The Soviet press h a s reported a (cyclic) rate of fire of up to 120 rounds per minute. However, t h e practical r a t e of fire i s approximately 40 to 60 r o u n d s per minute; a 4-round hurst leaves t h e tube i n a s little a s 2 seconds. This quick volume of fire considerably increases the shock effect of the first hurst of fire on targets such a s infantry and crew-served weapons. The

mortar h a s a shorter minimum r a n g e t h a n t h e M1943: 1 0 0 v e r s u s 500 m e t e r s . T h i s a n d a n

increased r a t e of fire significantly improve t h e

firepower of a n MRB. The 2B9 serves a s a n alternative to 120-mm mortars i n some MRBs.

REMARKS:

"cornflower.") T h e Soviets used a n S P version mounted on the rear deck of the MT-LB tracked a r m o r e d v e h i c l e i n A f g h a n i s t a n . I t h a d t h e mortar elevated on steel boxes a n d its carriage wheels removed.

The M1943 is a conventional, muzzle-loading, smoothbore mortar with a large circular base­ plate. For movement over short distances, it can quickly break down into three parts: barrel, bipod, a n d baseplate. For normal travel, t h e whole weapon folds together, and a GAZ-66 truck tows it on a two-wheeled tubular carriage. It also can travel in the truck's bed. If necessary, animals can pack the mortar in its three parts.

CAPABILITIES:

T h e M1943 i s s t a n d a r d equipment i n t h e mortar battery of a n MRB (in MRRs and in the TR of t h e TD), i n t h e mortar battery of a n

assault or parachute battalion (in air assault or airmobile assault brigades), and in the mortar battery of a n airborne regiment. Each battery has six or eight tubes.

This mortar can be drop-or lanyard-fired. The Soviets have retrofitted it with a special muzzle device to prevent double loading. The outer casing of t h e HE ammunition c a n consist of either wrought or cast iron. The latter is more effective

against personnel, but slightly reduced in maximum range. The baseplate mounting of the M1943

permits all-azimuth firing. The M1943 has a maximum range of 5,700 meters and a minimum range of 500 meters.

LIMITATIONS:

As with most Soviet mortars, the M1943 is difficult to turn rapidly over a wide traverse. However, it can accommodate small-angle shifts (of up to 6 degrees) without shifting the bipod.

REMARKS:

The M1943 is also known simply as M43. The Soviets first introduced it in 1943 as a modified

version of the older 120-mm mortar M1938. It differs from t h e M1938 i n h a v i n g longer shock

absorber cylinders and more sophisticated elevat-

ing and traversing gear. Although the M1943has virtually replaced the M1938 as the mortar of the

Soviet infantry battalions, the armies of other Warsaw Pact nations have both models. However,

the new 120-mm mortar M-120 and 82-mm automatic mortar 2B9 (the Vasilek) are now replacing

the M1943 in the Soviet Army.

The 120-mm mortar 2B11 resembles the older

M1943 version, with several improvements. Like the M1943, the 2B11 has a special safety device

to prevent double loading when the mortar round i s not fired or not removed from the tube. When a round i s loaded, it trips a t a b on the tube, preventing another round from being loaded. This tab

shifts to the "ready" position when the round fires, allowing t h e 2B11 to be reloaded. T h e 2 B 1 1 is

mounted on a lightweight carriage for towing by either the GAZ-66 or UAZ-469light trucks.

CAPABILITIES:

The rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute with 6

weighing almost 16 kilograms to a maximum range

of 7,200 meters. I t h a s a minimum range of 460 meters a n d is nine times lighter t h a n a 122-mm howitzer.

The 2 B l l is organic to the mortar batteries of MRRs a n d airborne regiments. Each battery has six or eight tubes.

REMARKS:

T h e 120-mm mortar originally identified a s M-120 h a s a t least two versions. The Soviets call t h e towed version 2 B 1 1 a n d t h e self-propelled

version 2S12. Some mortar batteries have replaced the older 120-mm mortar M1943 with the 2B11,

others with the 2S12. Still other batteries employ the 82-mm automatic mortar 2B9 (Vasilek).

DESCRIPTION:

The 2512 is a self-propelled version of the 120mm mortar 2Bll (M-120) carried on the bed of a

GAZ-66 truck.

CAPABILITIES:

Same as for 2B11. The SP model provides even more mobility for this versatile mortar.

REMARKS:

The Soviet nickname for the 2512 is Sani (sled). There are also reports of the 2512 mounted on a modified MT-LB chassis.

DESCRIPTION:

The 160-mm mortar M-160 is a breech-loaded, trigger-fired weapon. I t has a relatively long tube, a large circular baseplate with four lifting handles, a n d permanently attached wheels. The GAZ-66 general purpose cargo truck normally tows it.

CAPABILITIES:

The crew releases the entire tube from the base and rotates it to a horizontal position for loading. A tray-served round then is hand-rammed into the breech end of the tube. The crew returns the tube

to the firing position and fires the round wit lanyard attached to the trigger. The M-160 has a maximum range of 8,040 meters and a minimum range of 750 meters.

REMARKS:

The Soviets introduced the M-160 in 1953 as a replacement for the older 160-mm mortar M1943.

Compared to its predecessor, the M-160 h a s a longer tube and greater range. Some divisions have the M-160 instead of 152-mm howitzers.

DESCRIPTION:

The 240-mm mortar M-240 is the largest Soviet towed mortar. It is also the largest mortar used by any army in the world. It has a very large baseplate with star-shaped ribbing on the underside, a very long tube (5,340 millimeters), small vertical cylinders on either side of the tube just above the axle, and a collar around the tube in which the trunnions are located. A truck or tracked

artillery tractor tows the M-240 muzzle-first. It also carriesthe ammunition and the eight-or nine-man

crew.

CAPABILITIES:

The M-240 is a trigger-fired and breech-loaded mortar. It is similar in operation to the M-160.

Its wheels remain attached during firing.

The M-240 h a s a maximum range of 9,700 meters and a minimum range of 800 meters. It fires HE, chemical, and nuclear rounds, Its maximum rate of fire is only one round per minute.

LIMITATIONS:

The M-240 has reasonable elevation but only limited traverse. For loading, the crew rotates the tube on its trunnions to the horizontal position.

Lifting the round to the breech, which is more than five feet off the ground, is a fouror five-

man task. The short range of the mortar must present a problem for deployment in a nuclear role.

REMARKS:

The Soviets first produced the M-240, also known as the M1953 or M-53, in 1952. The West

first saw it in 1953. It is no longer in production. Soviet forces originally employed it in roles where US forces would use medium artillery. In recent years, they have adapted it to fire nuclear rounds and relegated it to service i n some independent high-powered artillery brigades at front level. They have some i n reserve stocks. The 240-mm S P mortar 2S4, believed to be a modification of the M-240 system, is now in service.

The 2S4 system comprises a heavy mortar carriedin a n open mount atop the same type of

cracked chassis used for the SA-4 SAM system, one2S3 S P howitzer, and the 2S5 S P gun. The

uspension features six road wheels and four support rollers. I t has more space between the

rst, second, and third road wheels. The mortar travels with its muzzle forward; the muzzle does

ot extend to the front of the vehicle, only even rith the first road wheel. The large baseplate has yourflat sides, rounded corners, and a star pattern n its bottom. I t is folded a t a forward angle bove the breech in travel position. The crew uses

remote console to hydraulically lower the mortar cover the back of the vehicle into firing position.

'he barrel points rearward when the baseplate ests on the ground.

The 2S4is organic to the high-powered artillery brigadewhich may be allocated to a front. The

n o r t a r i s essentially identical to t h e towed 240-mmmortar M-240,which it is replacing. Like he M-240, it is capable of firing a standard 30-kg HE round to a maximum range of 9,700

meters. This S P version can fire to a n extended range of 20,000 meters. The 2S4 can also fire chemical and nuclear rounds.

The use of the S P mount overcomes the towed

M-240's significant shortcomings in mobility, greatly decreasing the emplacement/displacement

time. I t also circumvents serious handling and loading problems for the massive 240-mm rounds. A power-assisted rammer pushes rounds stowed in the vehicle hull into the breech of the mortar; the mortar pivots on its trunnions to bring the breech near the rear of the hull for loading.

LIMITATIONS

Like the M-240, the 2S4 has only limited traverse capability. The open mount provides no protection for the crew in firing position. The mortar's short range must present a problem when the 2S4 has a nuclear role.

REMARKS:

The 2S4 was first observed in 1975; therefore,

it originally received the provisional designation M1975. It is a replacement for the towed M-240

in high-powered artillery brigades.