Munitions

120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition

Also known as
  • 120 mm HEAT ammunition
  • 120 mm HEAT round
  • 120 mm cumulative round
  • 3VBK14
  • 3ВБК14
  • 3BK19
  • 3БК19
  • Podstup-2
  • Подступ-2

120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition is the direct-fire anti-armor round class used by Soviet and Russian rifled gun-mortars in the Nona family. Forecast International identifies the 2S23 Nona-SVK's 2A60 weapon as firing HEAT ammunition for direct-fire applications, while specialist munition references identify the 3VBK14/3BK19 round as a documented 120 mm HEAT-FS-T load for armored-target engagements.

120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition, 120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, Munitions
Image source: File:Ammunition-latrun-exhibition-2.jpg
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm
Ammunition class
High-explosive anti-tank round / cumulative round
Documented round
3VBK14 semi-fixed round with 3BK19 HEAT-FS-T projectile
Role
Direct-fire anti-armor ammunition
Platform fit
Rifled 120 mm gun-mortars in the Nona family, including documented 2S9, 2S23, and 2S31 links
Documented projectile adoption
Park Patriot says the 3BK19 cumulative projectile was accepted in 1989 for the Nona family
Representative penetration
Specialist references describe the 3BK19/3VBK14 load at about 600 mm of homogeneous armor
Direct-Fire HEAT Context

This class page covers 120 mm HEAT ammunition as a Nona-family direct-fire anti-armor load. The specific 3VBK14 complete round and 3BK19 projectile are cataloged separately because those designations have their own component and specification trail.

Round class

High-explosive anti-tank ammunition for rifled 120 mm gun-mortars, not a conventional smoothbore tank-gun round.

Documented load

METIS identifies 3VBK14 as a semi-fixed HEAT-FS-T round built around the 3BK19 projectile.

Engagement use

Nona-family references describe the HEAT load for direct fire against armored targets at short range.

Sources: SM-120 (2S23) Nona-SVK 120mm Self-Propelled Howitzer/Mortar; 3BK19 - METIS; 3VBK14 - METIS; Park Patriot 2S9 Nona-S; VPK 2S9 Nona-S article; 2S23 Nona-SVK - Tank Encyclopedia.

Variants

This page covers the broader 120 mm HEAT ammunition class used with Nona-family rifled gun-mortars. The linked 3BK19 page covers the specific Soviet/Russian projectile and 3VBK14 complete-round designations.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
3BK19 high-explosive anti-tank round, 120 mm HEAT-FS-T projectile, Munitions3BK19 high-explosive anti-tank roundDocumented 120 mm HEAT-FS-T projectile and 3VBK14 complete round

METIS identifies 3BK19 as the HEAT-FS-T projectile in the 3VBK14 semi-fixed round, and Nona-family references list it for direct-fire anti-armor use.

Sources: 3BK19 - METIS, 3VBK14 - METIS, 2S23 Nona-SVK - Tank Encyclopedia

Firing Weapons

Open references tie this HEAT ammunition class to Nona-family rifled 120 mm gun-mortars. Rows are limited to cataloged firing weapons with direct source support.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
2S9 Nona, Air-droppable 120 mm self-propelled mortar, Artillery2S9 Nona120 mm self-propelled mortar

Park Patriot says the 3BK19 cumulative projectile was accepted in 1989 for the Nona family, while VPK describes the 2S9 firing 3BK19 rounds against armored targets in direct fire.

Sources: Park Patriot 2S9 Nona-S, VPK 2S9 Nona-S article, 2S9 Nona-S SO-120

2S23 Nona-SVK, 120 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-mortar, Artillery2S23 Nona-SVK120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar

Forecast International says the 2A60 Nona rifled ordnance fires HEAT ammunition for direct-fire applications, and Tank Encyclopedia identifies the 3BK19 HEAT round as the 2S23 Nona-SVK's direct-fire anti-armor load.

Sources: SM-120 (2S23) Nona-SVK 120mm Self-Propelled Howitzer/Mortar, 2S23 Nona-SVK - Tank Encyclopedia

2S31 Vena, 120 mm tracked self-propelled gun-mortar, Artillery2S31 Vena120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar

Specialist 2S31 Vena reference material lists 3VBK14 among the Vena's applied rounds and gives the cumulative-round row a 1 km maximum range and 600 mm penetration figure.

Sources: 2S31 Vena ammunition table

Media

120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition Videos

120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition Images

120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition, 120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, Munitions - view 1
Source: File:120-mm Ammunition-right APFSDS-left HEAT MP-T PNr°0110.JPG
Related Weapon Systems
2S23 Nona-SVK, 120 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2S23 Nona-SVK120 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-mortarThe 2S23 Nona-SVK is a Russian 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar that adapts the Nona artillery system to a BTR-80 8x8 armored chassis. Its rifled 2A60 weapon can provide direct or indirect fire with mortar bombs, artillery projectiles, and selected guided ammunition, giving motorized units a compact battalion-level fire-support vehicle. The type was reported in Chechnya during Russian service testing and later appeared in 2014 Russia-Ukraine War battlefield reporting, including visually confirmed Russian losses and captured vehicles.
120 mm smoke ammunition, 120 mm smoke ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, MunitionsMunitions120 mm smoke ammunition120 mm smoke ammunition for rifled gun-mortars120 mm smoke ammunition is a mortar and gun-mortar ammunition class used to build short-duration obscurant screens rather than to deliver direct explosive effects. Forecast International lists smoke among the 120 mm ammunition types fired by the 2A60 Nona rifled ordnance on the 2S23 Nona-SVK, while Army Recognition describes the tracked 2S9 Nona as firing smoke rounds in its indirect-fire role. Modern 120 mm smoke products from STV GROUP, Nammo, and Hirtenberger show the class spanning visible and infrared screening, red-phosphorus payloads, white-phosphorus smoke, and other smoke fills depending on the round.
2B16 Nona-K, 120 mm towed gun-mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2B16 Nona-K120 mm towed gun-mortarThe 2B16 Nona-K is the towed member of the Soviet/Russian Nona 120 mm gun-mortar family, combining a rifled breech-loading weapon with a split-trail carriage light enough for air-assault fire support. It shares the Nona ammunition concept with the 2S9 and 2S23, allowing mortar bombs, special 120 mm projectiles, and selected guided rounds from one compact artillery piece. In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War it has appeared in Russian loss tracking and in Ukrainian service, including captured guns used for infantry and position-defense fire missions.
2S9 Nona, Air-droppable 120 mm self-propelled mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2S9 NonaAir-droppable 120 mm self-propelled mortarThe 2S9 Nona is a Soviet airborne self-propelled mortar built around a 120 mm gun-mortar on a tracked amphibious BTR-D-derived chassis. Designed to give airborne and other high-mobility units organic indirect fire, it combines mortar-style high-angle fire, direct-fire HEAT use, and compatibility with several Nona-family rounds. Its conflict record spans Soviet use in Afghanistan, Russian delivery to Syrian government forces, and 2014 Russia-Ukraine War service with both Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Sources

SM-120 (2S23) Nona-SVK 120mm Self-Propelled Howitzer/MortarPublisher: Forecast International | Note: Supports the 2A60 Nona rifled ordnance firing HEAT ammunition for direct-fire applications and provides the ammunition-class context for this relationship-only entry. | Accessed: 2026-07-033BK19 - METISPublisher: Fenix Insight | Note: Identifies 3BK19 as a Soviet-era/Russian Federation 120 mm HEAT-FS-T projectile intended for direct fire against armored targets and as part of the 3VBK14 round. | Accessed: 2026-07-033VBK14 - METISPublisher: Fenix Insight | Note: Identifies 3VBK14 as a Soviet-era/Russian Federation 120 mm HEAT-FS-T rifled mortar/gun-mortar semi-fixed round with a 3BK19 projectile, 3V38 fuze, and 4-Z-15 propelling charge assembly. | Accessed: 2026-07-03VPK 2S9 Nona-S articlePublisher: ВПК.name | Note: Supports the 2S9 Nona firing cumulative 3BK19 rounds against armored targets in direct fire and provides Nona-family ammunition context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Park Patriot 2S9 Nona-SPublisher: Park Patriot | Note: Official museum page supporting Nona-family ammunition context, Bazalt development of 120 mm HE-fragmentation and cumulative projectiles, and 1989 acceptance of the 3BK19 cumulative projectile for armored targets. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S9 Nona-S SO-120Publisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the 2S9 Nona-S HEAT-round muzzle velocity and estimated armor penetration figures used for platform-fit context. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S23 Nona-SVK - Tank EncyclopediaPublisher: Tank Encyclopedia | Note: Supports the 3BK19 HEAT round as a 2S23 Nona-SVK direct-fire anti-armor round with 13 kg weight, 1 km range, and up to 600 mm armor penetration in that context. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S31 Vena ammunition tablePublisher: Armedconflicts.com | Note: Lists 3VBK14 among 2S31 Vena ammunition and identifies the cumulative-round range and penetration context used for the firing-weapon relationship. | Accessed: 2026-07-03File:Ammunition-latrun-exhibition-2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the representative 120 mm ammunition photo used on this page. | Accessed: 2026-07-03File:120-mm Ammunition-right APFSDS-left HEAT MP-T PNr°0110.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the 120 mm HEAT projectile gallery image used on this page. | Accessed: 2026-07-03