2S9 Nona

2S9 Nona
Vitaly V. Kuzmin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	2S9 Nona
Caption	2S9 Nona on parade
Origin	Soviet Union
Type	Self-propelled gun-mortar
Service	1981–present
Used by	See Operators
Designer	Central Design Bureau of Transport Machinery
Design date	1970s
Manufacturer	Kirov Plant
Production date	1979–1992
Number	~900
Weight	13.6 t
Length	7.35 m (with gun forward)
Width	2.86 m
Height	2.4 m
Armour	Aluminum
Primary armament	120 mm 2A51 mortar/gun
Secondary armament	7.62 mm PKT
Engine	V-8 diesel
Power	300 hp
Suspension	Torsion bar
Clearance	410 mm
Speed	65 km/h
Vehicle range	700 km

2S9 Nona

The 2S9 Nona is a Soviet-era 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar combining characteristics of mortar systems, gun-howitzer designs and tracked armored vehicle mobility. Developed during the Cold War by Soviet design bureaus for airborne and mechanized formations, it entered service with the Soviet Army and later with successor states. The system saw export and combat use in post-Soviet conflicts and by intervention forces, influencing doctrine in Warsaw Pact and post-Cold War operations.

Development and Design

The 2S9 originated from requirements issued by the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union and the General Staff of the Armed Forces in the 1970s, responding to operational experiences from Soviet–Afghan War planning and lessons from conflicts involving the Vietnam War, Yom Kippur War, and urban combat in Prague Spring aftermath analyses. Design responsibility fell to the Central Design Bureau of Transport Machinery and the Kirov Plant, with engineering inputs from the Sverdlovsk Tractor Plant and tactical guidance by the Frunze Military Academy. Prototype trials involved installation on chassis used by the BTR family and evaluation alongside systems like the 2S1 Gvozdika and 2S3 Akatsiya to compare mobility and firepower for Guards units and airborne brigades. Production decisions were influenced by procurement officers in the Main Automotive-Armored Directorate and strategic planners at the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

Technical Description

The vehicle mounts a 120 mm 2A51 rifled gun-mortar on a modified tracked chassis derived from the BMD-1 and BTR-80 development lineage, providing amphibious capability similar to designs assessed by the Naval Infantry and Airborne Forces. The aluminum-skinned hull offers comparable protection levels to other Soviet light armored vehicles evaluated by the GRAU and features a torsion bar suspension used on platforms from the T-72 family for cross-country mobility. Crew stations reference ergonomic studies from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University and sighting systems incorporate elements seen in equipment provided to formations trained at the Ryazan Airborne School. Powertrain specifications share lineage with engines produced at the Kharkiv Tractor Plant and transmissions developed in collaboration with the Leningrad Mechanical Plant.

Armament and Ammunition

Primary armament is the 120 mm 2A51 weapon capable of firing mortars, high-explosive rounds, and specialized munitions similar to those used by 2S23 Nona-SVK and other Soviet designs evaluated by the Artillery Directorate of the General Staff. Ammunition types include high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing, smoke, illumination, and guided projectiles comparable to developments tested at ranges used by the Artillery Academy and patterning after munitions introduced during the Cold War arms competition. Secondary armament comprises a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun supplied by factories like Degtyaryov Plant and standardized across vehicles fielded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and airborne units. The breech-loading, recoil mechanism and loading procedures reflect doctrine promulgated in manuals from the Soviet Army and training syllabi of the Combined Arms Academy.

Operational History

Entered service with the Soviet Airborne Forces and motorized rifle units in 1981 after trials overseen by the Military Scientific Research Institute of Artillery. The type was deployed to theaters involving Soviet Armed Forces commitments and appeared in inventories of successor states following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, with recorded deployments in conflicts such as the First Chechen War, Second Chechen War, Warsaw Pact successor engagements, and later operations involving Russian Armed Forces units. Export deliveries and transfers placed vehicles with forces in the People's Republic of China-adjacent analyses, India-watching assessments, and recipient states aligned with treaties negotiated at forums like the Conference on Disarmament.

Variants and Upgrades

Variants include the towed and tracked iterations developed alongside the 2S23 Nona-SVK and modernization programs conducted by firms such as the Uraltransmash and upgrades tested at the Central Scientific Research Institute of Engineering Troops. Upgrades have introduced digital fire-control systems compatible with command networks used by the Russian Ground Forces and integrated targeting packages resembling those fielded by units trained at the Military Academy of the General Staff. Export and local modernization efforts in countries like Ukraine and other successor states produced vehicles with improved engines, communications suites from the Radioelectronic Technologies Concern, and compatibility with GPS systems discussed at NATO-adjacent symposiums.

International Operators

Operators historically and currently include formations from the Russian Federation, Ukraine, several members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and export customers among non-aligned states that procured Soviet materiel through brokers linked to the Ministry of Trade of the USSR. Transfers following the breakup of the Soviet Union placed units in inventories of the Kazakh Armed Forces, Belarusian Ground Forces, and others with legacy stocks managed under bilateral agreements with the Russian Federation.

Combat Service and Performance

In combat, the system provided mobile indirect fire, direct-fire anti-armor capability, and support for airborne landing operations as reflected in after-action reports from units such as the 37th Guards Airborne Regiment and assessments by the Institute for Strategic Studies. Performance evaluations cite advantages in versatility and rapid deployment comparable to criteria used in procurement reviews by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, while limitations in protection and rate of fire were noted in studies by the Academy of Military Sciences and operational critiques following engagements in the North Caucasus and other theaters. Upgrades and tactical employment changes were recommended in doctrines taught at the Combined Arms Academy and implemented by formations during exercises with partners such as the Belarusian Armed Forces.

Category:Self-propelled artillery