The Russian army is armed with many artillery systems, including weapons of special power. The latter are of great interest to the public and foreign experts. In particular, they become a pretext for publications in the foreign press. It is curious that such weapons are capable of retaining their potential for a long time, and this allows the foreign press to reprint previously published articles. So, the publication The National Interest again presented its readers with its material about the Russian self-propelled mortar 2C4 "Tulip".
A relatively old article on Russian weapons was re-published on November 20 under The Buzz. The author of the publication was Sebastian A. Roblin. The article received a loud title: "Meet the Russian Army's Super 'Gun' That Can Destroy a City" - "Meet the Russian army's super-weapon capable of destroying an entire city." Such a title immediately showed that it was about a system with outstanding performance.
The subtitle of the material included theses on the specifics of the use of Russian and foreign weapons. The author pointed out that the 2S4 mortar has no analogues in foreign countries, the reason for which is the difference in the strategy of using weapons. The Russian combat vehicle "Tulip" is designed to hit stationary enemy targets with powerful mines. Advanced overseas armies accomplish similar combat missions with precision weapons such as the JDAM guided bombs.
The article itself begins by stating a sad fact. High performance allows the 2S4 "Tulip" self-propelled mortar to be used not only for attacking military targets, but also for long-term and indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets.
S. Roblin points out that large-caliber self-propelled mortars are a very popular fire weapon and are widely used in modern armies. Mortars are mounted on light armored vehicles and placed at the disposal of battalion commanders. Working in closed positions, they are capable of sending 120-mm mines to targets. They compare favorably with howitzer self-propelled guns of a similar caliber in smaller dimensions and weight, as well as simpler operation and supply. On the other hand, mortars are inferior to howitzers in firing range.
The US Army is armed with two types of self-propelled mortars of 120 mm caliber. A combat vehicle based on the Stryker armored personnel carrier is designated M1129, on a tracked chassis M113 - M1064. The Russian army also has 120mm self-propelled mortars. As an example of such a system, the author mentions the 2S9 Nona combat vehicle.
In addition, Russia has a unique self-propelled system - a gigantic 240mm 2S4 mortar, also known as the Tulip. Today this machine is the largest and most powerful example of its class in service. In this case, we are talking not only about the service, but also about the combat use of technology.
The author asks: why do we need a mortar of such a large caliber with a relatively short firing range? To find answers to this question, he suggests turning to history.
The first answer: it is needed to destroy "fortresses" in the form of various enemy fortifications, as well as to strengthen the defense. Israeli fortifications in the Golan Heights and the Suez Canal, cave complexes of the mujahideen in Afghanistan, as well as the sheltered shelters of the Ukrainian army at Donetsk airport - all these facilities provided protection for personnel, but then 240-mm M-240 mortars were used against them. Second answer: to destroy cities. The author is ironic that the residential buildings in Grozny, Beirut and Homs could not destroy themselves.
S. Roblin proposes to carefully consider both the 2S4 SPG itself and its armament. The 30-ton "Tulip" combat vehicle is a GMZ tracked chassis with a heavy M-240 mortar on a swinging installation. The chassis used in the 2C4 project is also used as the basis for other vehicles. The mortar crew consists of nine people. Four are in charge of operating the chassis, and five are in charge of the weapons. The crew is protected from bullets and shrapnel with armor up to 20 mm thick.
When the combat vehicle moves, the terrifying 240-mm mortar barrel is directed forward. However, when deployed to a firing position, the base plate, located at the stern of the chassis, is lowered to the ground, and the barrel goes into a working position and is set at an angle to the horizon. Each shot makes the entire war machine literally ring like a giant bell.
Unlike many other mortars, the Tulip cannon is charged from the treasury. It can use the massive 53-VF-584 mines weighing 221 pounds (130 kg). In terms of weight, these ammunition is comparable to small-caliber bombs. Such a projectile can be sent to a distance of up to 9 km. The use of active-jet mines increases the firing range to 12 km. However, the rate of fire of the M-240 mortar is limited to one shot per minute.
Unlike howitzer shells, mortar shells fall on the target almost vertically. This circumstance makes it possible to conduct effective fire through the walls of fortifications or through mountains, striking the entrances of caves and piercing through entire buildings.
To solve special problems, the Tulip mortar can use special shots. There is a concrete-piercing mine designed to destroy enemy fortifications. The ammunition called "Sayda" has an incendiary warhead and is required to destroy buildings by fire. For the 240-mm mortar, a 2B11 nuclear weapon was created. Self-propelled mortars 2S4 at one time served in the artillery brigades of high power of the reserve of the Supreme High Command.
Shortly before the first publication of S. Roblin's article, M-240 mortars were seen using other shells. Thus, the towed artillery of Syria used 3O8 Nerpa cluster mines. Such a product carried 14 submunitions capable of descending by parachute. S. Roblin recalls the incident that occurred at the end of 2015, when a similar mine dropped its combat load on a school building in one of the suburbs of Damascus.
The self-propelled mortar can also use the 3F5 "Daredevil" mine. This product has a seeker and automatically aims at a target illuminated by a laser. The first information about the combat use of such ammunition dates back to the eighties, then this weapon was used in Afghanistan. With the help of guided mines, Soviet artillerymen in different conditions carried out the defeat of the entrances to the caves, where the enemy was hiding. When using the "Brave", the defeat of such a target was provided with one or two shots. However, the effectiveness of laser target illumination depended on weather conditions.
During the civil war, the Syrian army has repeatedly used towed M-240 mortars in the siege of cities controlled by armed formations. For example, in 2012, the foreign press actively discussed the indiscriminate shelling of Homs. Then it was argued that 2S4 self-propelled mortars were also involved in artillery strikes, but this information was not confirmed. Earlier, in the eighties, mortars of this class were accused of hundreds of deaths in Beirut. Heavy mines of large caliber pierced the concrete roofs of shelters with understandable consequences. S. Roblin recalls that, according to some information, the towed M-240s are also kept in the Egyptian army.
According to the author, at the time of this writing, the Russian army had only one active battalion of 2S4 self-propelled mortars, consisting of eight combat vehicles. More than four hundred cars remained in storage. In 2000, during the Second Chechen War, the Tulip mortars took an active part in the siege of Grozny. According to one analyst, these machines "systematically leveled the city to the ground." It was reported that with the help of 240-mm mines "Daredevil" it was possible to destroy 127 targets. The total losses of the enemy amounted to 1,500 people. At the same time, the militants killed 16 times more civilians.
Unlike other Soviet-designed artillery systems, the 2S4 "Tulip" self-propelled mortars were almost never exported to the countries of the Warsaw Pact. Only a small number of such machines were transferred to Czechoslovakia, but their operation did not last too long.
However, oddly enough, such a technique was noticed by OSCE observers in the conflict zone in the Donbass. In July 2014, several 2S4 vehicles were found in the territory controlled by the “separatists”. S. Roblin jokes: apparently, in the Russian army, voluntarily leaving for another country, you can take a siege mortar with you. Formations loyal to Russia were reported to have used at least four Tulips.
The author recalls that, according to some reports, 2S4 mortars were used during the siege of the airports of Lugansk and Donetsk. In both cases, heavy 240-mm mines were used to destroy buildings on the territory of the airport, which were used by the Ukrainian army as fortifications. Mortar fire forced Ukrainian units to retreat from positions held for several months. In September 2014, then Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Geletay stated that 2C4 mortars used tactical nuclear weapons. However, later he began to assert that the "Tulips" only had such an opportunity.
Unable to immediately consider all the episodes of the combat use of Soviet-developed 240-mm mortars, S. A. Roblin invites readers to read his separate article on this topic. Two parts of this material were published in April 2016 by the online edition Offiziere.ch. In a separate article, all battles with the participation of M-240 and "Tulips" were considered - from the Yom Kippur War in 1973 to our time.
The author notes that foreign countries do not have weapons systems similar to the Soviet / Russian 2S4 self-propelled mortar. This is due to the fact that the main task of the "Tulip" is the destruction of important fixed targets of the enemy. Other military forces prefer to tackle such missions with precision weapons such as the JDAM guided bombs. However, the ground artillery system has advantages over the aviation weapons. It is capable of firing for a long time, and can also perform its functions in those periods when aviation is not available.
Unfortunately, high practical characteristics make it possible to use the M-240 mortar not only in combat with the enemy. These weapons have also been used for prolonged and indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets. S. Roblin ends his article with a quote. The journalist Paul Conroy, who was in Homs during his siege, colorfully described his feelings. “I lay and listened as these three mortars fired in one volley. 18 hours every day, 5 days in a row."
The towed 240 mm M-240/52-M-864 mortar was developed in the mid-forties and entered service in 1950. This weapon was intended to destroy fortified enemy targets at ranges up to 9-9.5 km. It was proposed to solve such problems with the help of a 130-kg mortar mine with a 32-kg explosive charge. The gun was distinguished by high performance, but a wheeled carriage and the need to use a tractor significantly hampered its operation and effective solution of the assigned tasks.
In 1966, the development of a self-propelled mortar based on the M-240 product was launched. The artillery part of the towed mortar was modified and equipped with new units, which made it possible to mount it on a self-propelled platform. This version of the gun was designated 2B8. The updated mortar was installed on a tracked chassis; the resulting car was named the 2C4 "Tulip". In 1972, the serial production of such equipment began, which lasted until 1988. During this time, a little less than 590 combat vehicles were manufactured.
The main operator of the M-240 and 2S4 products was the Soviet Union; almost all of his mortars went to Russia. Minor quantities of such weapons were transferred to foreign countries. According to current data, about 40 Tulip self-propelled mortars are currently in operation in the Russian army. Another 390 units are in storage. Combat vehicles with unique characteristics are the most important component of ground artillery and are capable of solving special combat missions. Their exploitation continues. The abandonment of such a technique is not yet planned.
