Munitions

120 mm smoke ammunition

Also known as
  • 120 mm SMK ammunition
  • 120 mm smoke round
  • 120 mm smoke mortar round
  • 120 mm mortar smoke ammunition
  • 120 mm IR-SMK
  • 120 mm red phosphorus smoke round

120 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.

120 mm smoke ammunition, 120 mm smoke ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, Munitions
Image source: File:120 mm mortar shell RUK-museo 2.JPG
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm
Ammunition class
Smoke / obscurant mortar and gun-mortar round
Primary function
Visible and infrared screening, obscuration, and movement masking
Payload examples
Red phosphorus, white phosphorus, and titanium tetrachloride smoke fills are documented in modern 120 mm smoke lines
Functioning method
Time-fuzed air release of smoke pots or sub-munitions is documented for modern red-phosphorus rounds
Representative range
STV GROUP lists 8,100 m for its 120 mm SMK round; Nammo lists a 300 m to 8,300 m range band for its 120 mm IR-SMK round
Representative mass
Nammo lists a 14.0 kg flying mass for its 120 mm IR-SMK round; Hirtenberger lists 14.6 kg for SMK-WP/SMK-TTC Mk2 A1 and 14.9 kg for SMK-RP Mk3
Representative fuze
Time fuzes are documented for STV GROUP and Nammo red-phosphorus rounds; Hirtenberger lists PD DM111 A4 for SMK-WP/SMK-TTC Mk2 A1 and MTSQ DM93 for SMK-RP Mk3
Representative smoke duration
At least 60 seconds for STV GROUP and Nammo red-phosphorus rounds; Hirtenberger lists about 120 seconds for its 120 mm SMK-RP Mk3
Platform fit
Documented with Nona-family 120 mm gun-mortars and standard smoothbore/turreted 120 mm mortar systems depending on round design
Variants

Public sources use smoke as a broad ammunition effect rather than one single universal round; manufacturers distinguish visible/infrared screening rounds and smoke fills such as red phosphorus, white phosphorus, and titanium tetrachloride.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
SMK smoke roundVisible and infrared screening round

STV GROUP describes its 120 mm SMK round as a red-phosphorus smoke munition that releases smoke sub-munitions by time fuze to create rapid visible and infrared screening.

Sources: Mortar ammunition 120 mm SMK (Smoke)

IR-SMK roundInfrared smoke round

Nammo's 120 mm IR-SMK is a red-phosphorus mortar round that ejects smoke pots at height and is marketed for visual and infrared screening.

Sources: 120 mm Mortar Infrared Smoke

SMK-WP / SMK-RP / SMK-TTCSmoke-fill variants

Hirtenberger's 120 mm line separates white-phosphorus, red-phosphorus, and titanium-tetrachloride smoke variants, illustrating the fill-based designation pattern inside the broader 120 mm smoke class.

Sources: Hirtenberger 120mm System

120 mm ER Infra-Red Red Phosphorous, 120 mm extended-range smoke mortar round, Munitions120 mm ER Infra-Red Red PhosphorousExtended-range infrared red-phosphorus smoke round

ST Engineering material identifies this adjacent 120 mm smoke/obscurant round with a three-canister payload for visual, infrared, and laser-spectrum screening.

Sources: 120mm Extended Range Mortar Specifications

Firing Weapons

The strongest catalog links are to Nona-family 120 mm systems whose public references explicitly name smoke rounds in their ammunition set.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
2S23 Nona-SVK, 120 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-mortar, Artillery2S23 Nona-SVK120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar

The 2S23 mounts the 2A60 Nona rifled ordnance, which Forecast International says fires smoke ammunition.

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

2S9 Nona, Air-droppable 120 mm self-propelled mortar, Artillery2S9 Nona120 mm airborne self-propelled gun-mortar

VPK.name describes the 2S9 Nona-S as able to use Soviet 120 mm mortar ammunition including the 3D5 smoke round, while Army Recognition also lists smoke rounds in the 2S9 indirect-fire ammunition set.

Sources: 2S9 Nona-S Soviet Self-Propelled Artillery and Mortar Installation, 2S9 Nona-S SO-120

Smoke Effect And Compatibility

Public product data treats 120 mm smoke ammunition as an effect family rather than a single fixed projectile. The shared tactical purpose is rapid obscuration, but modern manufacturers document different fills, fuse actions, and platform fits across the same caliber.

Screening role

STV GROUP, Nammo, and ST Engineering describe 120 mm smoke rounds intended for visible, infrared, or multispectral screening over the impact area or a wider area.

Payload families

Published 120 mm smoke lines include red-phosphorus, white-phosphorus, and titanium-tetrachloride variants, so this page keeps separate WP/red-phosphorus catalog entries distinct where the source names them.

Platform fit

Forecast International directly ties smoke rounds to the 2A60 Nona weapon on the 2S23; modern NATO-style smoke rounds may instead be specified for smoothbore or turreted 120 mm mortars.

Sources: SM-120 (2S23) Nona-SVK 120mm Self-Propelled Howitzer/Mortar; Mortar ammunition 120 mm SMK (Smoke); 120 mm Mortar Infrared Smoke; Hirtenberger 120mm System; 120mm Extended Range Mortar Specifications.

Timeline

120 mm smoke ammunition Key Events

  1. Nona service baseline

    Army Recognition identifies 1981 as the 2S9 Nona-S entry into Russian service, while VPK.name describes its 120 mm Soviet mortar ammunition set as including the 3D5 smoke round.

    Sources: 2S9 Nona-S Soviet Self-Propelled Artillery and Mortar Installation, 2S9 Nona-S SO-120

  2. 2S23 Nona-SVK service entry

    Forecast International identifies the 2S23 Nona-SVK as entering service in 1990 and lists smoke among the 2A60 gun-mortar's 120 mm ammunition types.

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

Media

120 mm smoke ammunition Images

120 mm smoke ammunition, 120 mm smoke ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, Munitions - view 1
Source: File:120 mm mortar shell RUK-museo 1.JPG
120 mm smoke ammunition, 120 mm smoke ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, Munitions - view 2
Source: File:M120 Mortar in Zabol Province, Afghanistan.jpg
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Sources

SM-120 (2S23) Nona-SVK 120mm Self-Propelled Howitzer/MortarPublisher: Forecast International | Note: Supports the 2A60 Nona rifled ordnance firing smoke among its 120 mm ammunition types and provides the direct relationship context for this support page. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Mortar ammunition 120 mm SMK (Smoke)Publisher: STV GROUP | Note: Supports 120 mm SMK smoke ammunition characteristics, including visible/infrared screening, red-phosphorus payload, time-fuzed sub-munition release, range, smoke duration, operating temperature, and mortar compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-07-03120 mm Mortar Infrared SmokePublisher: Nammo | Note: Supports modern 120 mm IR-SMK specifications, including red-phosphorus filling, time-fuzed smoke-pot ejection, 14 kg flying mass, 100-391 m/s muzzle velocity, 300 m to 8,300 m range, visual/IR obscuration duration, and compatibility limits. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Hirtenberger 120mm SystemPublisher: Hirtenberger Defence | Note: Supports 120 mm smoke ammunition fill variants, including white phosphorus, red phosphorus, and titanium tetrachloride, and gives a smoke-generation time for the SMK-RP Mk3 round. | Accessed: 2026-07-03120mm Extended Range Mortar SpecificationsPublisher: ST Engineering | Note: Supports the adjacent 120 mm ER Infra-Red Red Phosphorous smoke-round designation, three-canister payload, visual/infrared/laser-spectrum screening role, range, and smooth-bore mortar compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S9 Nona-S SO-120Publisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the 2S9 Nona-S indirect-fire ammunition set including smoke rounds, plus service-entry context used in the timeline and firing-weapon relationship. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S9 Nona-S Soviet Self-Propelled Artillery and Mortar InstallationPublisher: VPK.name | Note: Supports the 2S9 Nona-S firing Soviet 120 mm mortar ammunition including the 3D5 smoke round, plus ammunition-nomenclature context for this support page. | Accessed: 2026-07-03File:120 mm mortar shell RUK-museo 2.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Primary image provenance; Commons identifies the subject as a 120 mm heavy mortar smoke round photographed at the RUK museum and lists the file as public domain. | Accessed: 2026-07-03File:120 mm mortar shell RUK-museo 1.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance for the companion RUK museum 120 mm mortar shell photograph; Commons lists the file as public domain. | Accessed: 2026-07-03File:M120 Mortar in Zabol Province, Afghanistan.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance; Commons shows the image as a public-domain U.S. Army photo of a 120 mm mortar firing. | Accessed: 2026-07-03