Despite the fact that in recent years, military equipment has been significantly modernized, mortar weapons are still the main weapon for any military unit. In general, this is due to the fact that when developing these weapons, the developers were able to combine high fire efficiency with low cost. This weapon is best suited to provide fire support to infantry, especially in cases where hostilities are conducted in hard-to-reach areas with difficult terrain.
Types of mortars
The 120 mm mortar of the 1943 model called PM-43, based on which a large number of modern modifications were developed, gained the most popularity in the military industry:
- 2B11 - the standard option;
- 2B24 - domestic modification is significantly superior in terms of fire indicators to all imported analogues;
2B11 - modification licensed in Bulgaria;
- 2С12 - is a mortar complex, called "Sled". Its design is represented by a 2F510 machine (GAZ-66 car), on which the installation is transported, and a 2L81 wheeled drive intended for use with the standard version of the 2B11 mortar;
- 2K32 - a mortar of class 2B24 is located on an armored tracked base;
- 2B25 - used by special units. It has a number of advantages that allow it to carry out attacks in which the enemy cannot determine the location of the installation and, as a result, eliminate it. It is also available in the “Commandos” variant with a firing range of up to 3 km with a total weight of the structure not exceeding 12 kg.
Application 2B11
In the event that destruction or suppression by mounted fire of the movements of infantry or combat forces of the enemy is required, a mortar of 120 mm, the characteristics of which fully meet the stated requirements, will become an indispensable tool. Moreover, its scope is very diverse. It can be used for shooting on steep descents, mountain ranges, gorges, forests. It is successfully used to destroy enemy trenches, trenches and various military structures of light construction. If necessary, it can be used to make holes in wire fences or repel enemy attacks at any time of the day.
The main varieties of 120 mm min used in 2B11
The performance, which reached a mortar of 120 mm, the characteristics of which are indicated for 5 people, over the past years has been significantly improved at the Central Research Institute "Petrel". Now the structure is transported on URAL-43206 vehicles and MT-LB armored tracked vehicles, allowing guaranteeing the accompanying crew the maximum degree of protection.
The main mines used:
- high-explosive fragmentation with a weight of up to 15.9 kg;
- incendiary;
- smoke;
- lighting;
- propaganda.
At the same time, the time necessary to spend on taking a firing position if necessary is 8 minutes, and in order to leave it, it will take about 6 minutes.
Start of production of modern mortars
The standard 120 mm mortar, the performance characteristics of which are completely based on the original World War II model, was published in 1979 at the Central Research Institute "Burevesnik" (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia). It was called 2B11 and, having become operational in 1981, began to be mass-produced at the Motovilikhinsky Zavod company, during which about 1, 500 mortar guns of this type were produced.
The mortar device 2B11
In fact, the 120 mm mortar is a device with a recoilless structure installed using a bipod and breech with a supporting heel on a rigid plate. It serves as a support, which should be placed directly on the ground. Since charging is carried out only through the barrel, and in the conditions of hostilities a double charge can be laid, the first of which will serve as a fuse for the second, triggering an explosion directly in the barrel of the mortar, most of the 2B11 modifications received a special mechanism on the muzzle that prevents such an action and, as a result, is received by others significant injuries.
Compared to the 1943 model, the 120 mm mortar, the characteristics of which have received significant changes, is cast from modern materials that greatly facilitate its construction and transportation. The design was equipped with an MPM-44M model sight, providing maximum accuracy at a distance of 480 to 7100 m. If necessary, the MPM-44 can be increased by more than 2 °, providing a field of view of more than 9 °.
Of no less importance was the ability to translate a 120 mm mortar, the photo of which is presented below, into a combat position in less than 2 minutes, which significantly saves time on firing a shot in the face of an unexpected enemy attack.
In the event that the use of 2B11 is carried out in an area where the 2F510 machine will not pass, the mortar is installed directly on the tracked chassis, greatly facilitating the transportation of the gun.
Mortar 120 mm TTX
The 2B11 mortar can use all kinds of mines with a caliber of 120 mm for firing. Even KM-8 Grain category guided mines fall into this category. Already by this fact, one can properly judge the combat characteristics shown by a 120 mm mortar. The servicemen’s reviews of this weapon make it possible to judge the maximum indicators of the firing range, which is about 7, 500 m with conventional charges.
The total mass for all modifications, including directly 2B11, is 210 kg, allowing you to produce more than 15 rounds per minute with an initial charge speed of at least 325 m / s. The barrel design with a length of 1740 mm provides a vertical pointing angle in the range from + 45 ° to + 80 °. The horizontal indicators in this case fluctuate within ± 5 °, while maintaining the indicators of sighting in 360 ° with an angle of horizontal fire from 5 ° to 26 °.
Basic data
A mortar of 120 mm, the radius of destruction of which, when fired by guided mines, reaches 9000 m, is by far the most effective weapon for suppressing enemy firepower and covering the movement of infantry units.
Shooting is carried out by mortar rounds with fuses class GVMZ-7 and a variable charge. It is noteworthy that the 2F510 car (GAZ-66 car) with a V-shaped 8 cylinder engine, in which 2B11 is transported, can transport with it only a strictly defined stock of charges placed in 24 boxes. Ammunition is designed to produce 48 rounds, which can make a mortar 120 mm. The characteristics of the device allow you to load and unload 2B11 in the car body without the use of heavy equipment.
In the event that there are not enough people to complete this procedure for any reason, the mortar is transported in tow. At the same time, the 2F510 engine is gasoline and belongs to the ZMZ-66-06 class, the power of which reaches 120 liters. with. At the same time, the maximum permissible speed on the highway is 90 km / h.
In the event that a car with a mortar installation must cross the river fording, for the normal passage of the car will have to perform preliminary measurements. In the deepest place, the maximum permissible water level should not exceed 1 m.
The brake system is equipped with a hydraulic drive with several circuits and hydraulic vacuum amplifiers on each of them. These factors make it possible to ensure the reliability of 2B11 transportation even in difficult combat conditions. The only weakness of the 2F510 is its dependent suspension on polyelliptic springs with shock absorbers.
