2B9 Vasilek
The 2B9 Vasilek (2Б9 "Василёк" - Cornflower) is an automatic 82 mm gun-mortar developed in the Soviet Union in 1967 and fielded with the Soviet Army in 1970.
| 2B9 Vasilek | |
|---|---|
 82 mm 2B9 Vasilek Gun-mortar | |
| Type | Gun-mortar |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1970–present |
| Wars | Soviet–Afghan War Syrian Civil War War in Donbas Second Nagorno-Karabakh War Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Bolshevik Plant, Norinco, Diósgyőri Gépgyár |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 632 kg (1,393 lb) |
| Shell | 3.23 kg (7 lb 2 oz) bomb |
| Caliber | 82 mm (3.2 in)[1] |
| Breech | muzzle loaded or breech loaded |
| Elevation | −1° to 85° |
| Traverse | 60°[1] |
| Rate of fire | 100–120 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 270 m/s (890 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 4,270 m (14,010 ft) |
| Sights | PAM-1 2.5× or 3× |
Description
It was based on the F-82 automatic mortar. The 2B9 is a semiautomatic breechloader that makes use of 4-round clips or is loaded with individual rounds.[2] Rounds can be loaded from either the muzzle or the breech. Because of its wheeled carriage, the 2B9 resembles a light artillery piece more than a conventional mortar.
The 2B9 was used in Afghanistan[3] by Soviet units and is still found in Russian airmobile infantry units. In the fighting in Afghanistan, Soviet units found the 2B9 to be a versatile and useful weapon.[4] The 2B9 can fire high-explosive, armor-piercing, smoke, and illumination rounds. The armor-piercing projectile, which weighs 3.1 kg (6.8 lb), has a 75 g (2.6 oz) warhead that can penetrate 100 mm (3.9 in) of armor.[5] Upon blast, the high-explosive shell produces 400 to 600 fragments.
The 2B9 can be towed but is usually carried on a modified GAZ-66.[6] By 1988, the 2B9 was also deployed as a self-propelled weapon by mounting the gun-mortar in the rear of an MT-LB armored personnel carrier.[7]
During the Syrian Civil War, the 2B9M Vasilek was used by the Syrian Armed Forces, Kurdish People's Protection Units, and the Islamist group Ansar al-Sham. The latter used a 2B9M automatic mortar near Mount Chalma, Kesab district.[8]
Variants
- 2B9 Vasilek – Basic model
- 2B9M Vasilek – Modernised version introduced in 1982, and adopted in 1983.[8]
- DE-82 - upgraded Hungarian version developed in 1987.[6]
- Type W99 – 2B9 Vasilek produced in the People's Republic of China by Norinco.[9]
Operators
Current operators
Armenia[10]
Azerbaijan[11]
Belarus[11][12]
Hungary[6]
Kazakhstan[11]
Kyrgyzstan[11]
Moldova[11]
Russia[6][11]
Syria – Used by both government and rebel forces in the Syrian Civil War.[8]
Turkmenistan[11]
Ukraine[11] – Used by both government and Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic forces in the war in Donbas[13][14]
Uzbekistan[11]
Former operators
.svg.png.webp)
Northern Alliance − Reported[15]
Soviet Union – Passed down to successor states.
Notes
Citations
- Kinard (2007), p. 481.
- Kinard (2007), p. 306.
- Campbell, David (30 November 2017). Soviet Paratrooper vs Mujahideen Fighter: Afghanistan 1979–89. Combat 29. Osprey Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 9781472817648.
- "fmso.leavenworth.army.mil". Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- Leland Ness (ed.), Jane's Infantry Weapons 2007–2008, pp. 556–557, Surrey: Jane's Information Group, 2007
- Lovass, Ernő; Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (3 September 2018). "Soviet 2B9M Vasilek self-loading mortar". armamentresearch.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- "sill-www.army.mil" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- Jenzen-Jones, N.R.; Lyamin, Yuri (18 June 2014). "2B9M Vasilek automatic mortar in service with Ansar al-Sham in Syria". armamentresearch.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- Blasko, Dennis J. (2013). The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century. Routledge. p. 140. ISBN 9781136519970.
- "The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And Azerbaijan". Oryx Blog. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- Jones & Ness 2010, pp. 554−555.
- "It Became Known What the belarusian Territorial Defense is Armed With, Which the Wagnerians Will Train". Defense Express. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- How the "Cornflower" fires 13/11/14. Novorossia TV. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- "Vídeo of DPR militia using 2B9 Vasilek". YouTube. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
- Jones & Ness 2010, p. 554.
References
External links
