Russia’s Army Has Upgraded Its Giant 240-Millimeter Mortars

War is Boring ^ | November 22, 2017 | Robert Beckhusen

[C19fan]

The Russian Ground Forces have taken delivery of the first batch of modernized 2C4 Tulip self-propelled 240-millimeter mortars. The 1960s-era weapons were upgraded with new datalinks, communications gear and fire control systems. Russia eventually hopes to modernize all 500 of the vehicles it has in storage.

“In the course of deep modernization, modern control and communication facilities are installed in the combat vehicles,” reads a Russian Ministry of Defense statement.

[jonascord]

It's a breech loader. One round per minute. The trunnions are at the balance point, and the tube is rocked to a horizontal, loaded from a carriage, into the breech, and then rocked back into battery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/240_mm_mortar_M240

Sort of interesting, dates back to 1973 deployment, by the Syrians, in the Yom Kipper War...

It takes 25 minutes to deploy, so radar guided counter battery fire is going to clean it's clock. Note that it's only deployed in Third World toilets, against enemies in sandals, with AKs.

[BobL]

Sounds like a GOOD REASON to start a war with them...at least per the Neocons ON THIS SITE.

[BobL]

” Just about everyone sent to an active war zone these days are volunteers.”

STOP saying stuff like that, the Neocons here will be PISSED. Remember, they’re trying to make the Russians out to be monsters

[Ronin]

Yeah. I got curious and found a video on YouTube. Interesting. Your point on counterbattery is spot on. It’d be useless against any technologically equivalent opponent with access to Arty.

[jmacusa]

That must be some heat signature that whole thing leaves. I imagine it would light up a thermal imaging targeting system like the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center.

[NorseViking]

‘’’’Yeah. I got curious and found a video on YouTube. Interesting. Your point on counterbattery is spot on. It’d be useless against any technologically equivalent opponent with access to Arty.’’’’

Just like A-10s which would drop like flies in a conflict with a near-peer adversary in pocession of air power and anti-air assets. That thing is a direct low-cost replacement for close air support against rag-heads. At Fulda Gap it was also deployed with a nuclear round making counter-battery a non-issue.