Is it worth converting the old MT-LB and BTR into self-propelled mortars

The positional war going on in the Donbas dictates to its participants its cruel rules of the game, written in blood. The main load there falls on artillery, barrel, rocket and mortar. Its effective operation requires continuous aerial reconnaissance from UAVs for target designation and reliable secure communications for fire adjustment. The constantly ongoing mutual counter-battery struggle forces the crews to constantly change positions and be mobile. All together, this forms stringent requirements for Russian artillery, the activity of which is negatively affected by the emerging “shell hunger” for some calibers.

In this publication, I would like to talk in more detail about the mortars used by both sides of the conflict. The Ukrainian experience is especially interesting, since the Armed Forces of Ukraine much earlier than the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation gained experience in positional warfare in their terrorist operation against the DPR and LPR and had more time to prepare.

There are mines

One of the most powerful arguments of the infantry in the Russian and Ukrainian armies are mortars of 82 mm and 120 mm caliber. A big plus is that the mine flies to the target along a hinged trajectory, covering the enemy. In conjunction with an ordinary Chinese-made civilian quadrocopter for reconnaissance and fire adjustment, some kind of "Cornflower" becomes a serious precision weapon. The disadvantages are also obvious - the short range of mortars forces them to be placed very close to the line of contact, which dramatically increases the risks for their calculations.

The conclusion drawn by our adversary was quite obvious: mortar batteries should be as mobile as possible, protected from fragments as far as possible. We will talk about some interesting technical solutions in their simplicity and accessibility further.

So, back in 2007, Thailand placed an order in Ukraine for the development of 81-mm self-propelled mortars on the BTR-3 chassis. The product received the BTR-3M1 index. The Kyiv Armored Plant and the Artillery Design Bureau had to take a serial armored personnel carrier as a basis, removing the fighting compartment with a turret and regular landing sites in the center of the hull. In front of the BTR-3, a superstructure with box-shaped onboard units was placed, in the roof of which an opening was made with hinged covers, under which there was a movable base for a mortar.

On the sides of the armored personnel carrier, Ukrainian engineers placed mounts for transporting a base plate and a two-legged mortar, thanks to which it can be removed and used separately. The armament is represented by the Ukrainian modification of the Soviet 2B14, the KBA48M mortar, in the original caliber 82 mm, for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the export one - 81 mm. The maximum range of its firing reaches 3900 m, the rate of fire is up to 20-22 rds / min. Ammunition on board the car is impressive - 80 shots.

The project turned out to be simple and at the same time reliable, allowing you to move off-road, fire, quickly change positions and at the same time provide some protection to the calculation. The Kingdom of Thailand became so interested in them that they ordered from Kyiv the development of a version with a more powerful 2B11 mortar of 120 mm caliber. Its firing range increased to 7100 m, rate of fire - up to 13-15 rds / min, and the ammunition load was reduced to 40 rounds.

Not surprisingly, in 2014, the Kiev regime appropriated foreign-made self-propelled mortars, sending them to terrorize the Donbass. Subsequently, the BTR-3M2 proudly drove through Ukrainian parades, and in February-March 2022, one such armored vehicle became a trophy of the Russian Armed Forces in Gostomel.

Another interesting project of the Ukrainian self-propelled mortar is Bars-8MMK. The combat vehicle is built on the basis of the Bars-8 4x4 off-road vehicle, in the rear of which there is a modified 2B11 mortar with an automatic loading system and an automated fire control system with visualization of the tactical situation and control of the effectiveness of fire. Bringing the mortar into combat readiness takes only 30 seconds, the rate of fire is 12 rounds per minute, and the maximum range reaches 8 kilometers. The ammunition load is 60 shots, after firing a shot, the calculation can leave the position in less than 20 seconds.

Another rather promising direction in its simplicity is the option of equipping the usual "motorbike" with mortars. In 2015, one of the Ukrainian publications now blocked in Russia published a post with the following message:


Indeed, an ordinary lightly armored all-terrain vehicle with a large-caliber mortar mounted on it is a terrible weapon in its utility. The idea is not new, the project of the self-propelled 120-mm mortar "Tundzha" / "Tundzha-Sani" was worked out back in the USSR. An M-120 mortar was installed on the MT-LB in the stern, and the fighting compartment was closed from above with a double-leaf lid. Unfortunately, in our country it did not go into series, but its production was mastered in Bulgaria, from where it also came to the Warsaw Pact countries.

In modern Russia, on the basis of the "motorcycle league", a self-propelled mortar 2K32 "Deva" of 82-mm caliber 2B24 was developed, which is an improved version of the mortar 2B14-1 "Tray". The firing range from it reaches 6 km, the rate of fire is 20 rounds per minute. The self-propelled mortar was developed for the mountain units of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, but all of them were transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, and later to the National Guard. Only 36 pieces were produced.

As you can see, the Russian troops have a great need for highly mobile protected firing points. On the Web, you can even find photos of self-made self-propelled mortars in the form of "Cornflowers", handicraft mounted on "motor leagues", which says a lot. At the same time, it does not present any special technical problems in the factory to quickly re-equip numerous old armored personnel carriers and MT-LBs with mortars, giving our military the weapons that they need here and now. If we have thought of to install a gun turret from the ship on the "motor league", then God himself ordered a mortar of 82 mm and 120 mm caliber.