Russian forces have fielded 2B16 Nona-K gun-mortars during the full-scale invasion, with Oryx documenting destroyed, damaged, abandoned, and captured Russian examples; Ukrainian forces have also used the type, including captured guns and a 2B16 reported with the 80th Air Assault Brigade.
Role detailsArtillery
2B16 Nona-K
Also known as
- Nona-K
- 2B16 NONA-K
- 2B16
- 2Б16 Нона-К
- 120 mm 2B16 Nona-K
- 2B16 gun-howitzer-mortar
The 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.
Role in Conflicts
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Russia
- Built by
- Motovilikha Plants
- Type
- 120 mm towed gun-mortar
- Service note
- Accepted for service in 1986; documented in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
- Designer
- Perm artillery facility and TsNIITochMash
- Designed
- 1970s development; accepted for service in 1986
- Produced
- Accepted for Russian Army service in 1986; production total not publicly confirmed in the cited sources
Specifications
- Crew
- 5
- Caliber
- 120 mm
- Main armament
- 120 mm/24.2-caliber 2A51 rifled breech-loading gun-mortar
- Combat weight
- 1,200 kg
- Maximum firing range
- 12 km in Army Guide specification table; Ukrainian reporting cites up to 12.8 km depending on ammunition
- Rate of fire
- Up to 8 rounds per minute
- Elevation
- -10 to +80 degrees
- Towing
- Normally towed by a GAZ-66 4x4 light truck carrying the five-person crew and ready ammunition; Army Guide also notes UAZ-469 towing for short distances
- Ammunition
- HE-fragmentation, HEAT, smoke, 120 mm mortar bombs, OF-50 rocket-assisted projectiles, and Kitolov-2 laser-guided projectile compatibility
Variants
The 2B16 is the towed branch of the Nona 120 mm gun-mortar family, alongside tracked, wheeled, and later self-propelled members that use the same general ammunition concept.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Tracked airborne self-propelled gun-mortar | Army Guide describes the 2B16 and 2S9 as Russian Army 120 mm gun-mortar systems sharing the same rifled ordnance and ammunition family. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
 | Wheeled BTR-80-based self-propelled gun-mortar | Army Guide identifies the 2S23 as another Nona-family system using a modified 2A60 ordnance with the same ballistics and characteristics. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
 | Later BMP-3-based 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar | Army Guide describes the 2S31 as a later self-propelled system using the same family of ammunition as the 2B16, 2S9, and 2S23. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
Ammunition Fired
The Nona-K's value is its ammunition flexibility: Army Guide describes it as firing special 120 mm projectiles, 120 mm mortar bombs, and the Kitolov-2 laser-guided projectile.
| Ammunition | Ammunition type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 120 mm HE-fragmentation projectile | Army Guide identifies the OF-49 HE-fragmentation projectile as one of the special 120 mm projectiles fired by the 2B16. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
 | 120 mm rocket-assisted HE-fragmentation projectile | Army Guide lists the OF-50 rocket-assisted projectile for the 2B16 and describes its rocket motor engaging after launch. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
 | 120 mm HEAT round | Army Guide lists HEAT among the special Russian 120 mm projectiles fired by the 2B16. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
 | 120 mm mortar bombs | Army Guide says the 2B16 can fire 120 mm mortar bombs in addition to its special rifled projectiles. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
 | 120 mm laser-guided projectile | Army Guide states that the 2B16 can fire the Kitolov-2 laser-guided projectile to a maximum range of 9 km. Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide |
Timeline
2B16 Nona-K Key Events
Towed Nona development
Army Guide places 2B16 development in the 1970s at the Perm artillery facility and TsNIITochMash.
Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide
Accepted for service
Army Guide reports that the 2B16 Nona-K was accepted for Russian Army service in 1986, with Russian air assault forces as the main user.
Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide
Captured Russian guns documented
Militarnyi reported Ukrainian seizure of a Russian 2B16 Nona-K towed system, while Oryx later tracked multiple captured Russian 2B16 examples.
Sources: Ukrainian forces seized Russian 2B16 Nona-K, Oryx Russian equipment losses
92nd Assault Brigade use reported
Defense Express reported that Ukraine's 92nd Assault Brigade released video of a 2B16 Nona-K in combat service.
Sources: Defense Express 92nd Brigade Nona-K
80th Air Assault Brigade use described
Defense Express reported an 80th Air Assault Brigade account of a preserved 2B16 Nona-K returned to use after being removed from a Lviv military academy display.
Sources: Defense Express 80th Brigade Nona-K
Design And Battlefield Context
The 2B16 is not a conventional mortar or a conventional towed howitzer. Its 2A51 rifled ordnance is breech loaded, mounted on a compact split-trail carriage, and fitted with a multibaffle muzzle brake to manage recoil. In travel position, the carriage is shortened by rotating the upper weapon assembly over the closed trails, a design choice Army Guide links to air-transport requirements.
Family role
Towed Nona-family gun-mortar for air-assault and light artillery units.
Shares ammunition logic with the 2S9, 2S23, and later 2S31 family members.
Ukraine evidence
Oryx records 2B16 losses on both Russian and Ukrainian lists, while Ukrainian reporting documents combat use by named brigades.
The conflict row is limited to the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War because that is the exact direct-use lane supported here.
Sources: 2B16 Nona-K Army Guide; Oryx Russian equipment losses; Oryx Ukrainian equipment losses; Defense Express 92nd Brigade Nona-K; Defense Express 80th Brigade Nona-K.
Media
2B16 Nona-K Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
2B16 Nona-K Army GuidePublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports 2B16 identity, Motovilikha attribution, 1970s development, 1986 service acceptance, Nona-family relationships, carriage design, ammunition compatibility, and specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Oryx Russian equipment lossesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use/loss context by documenting 120 mm 2B16 Nona-K gun-mortars fielded by Russian forces as destroyed, damaged, abandoned, damaged and captured, and captured. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Oryx Ukrainian equipment lossesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use/loss context by documenting 120 mm 2B16 Nona-K gun-mortars used by Ukrainian forces as destroyed. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Defense Express 92nd Brigade Nona-KPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War Ukrainian use by reporting 92nd Assault Brigade video of the 2B16 Nona-K in combat service and provides crew, weight, caliber, and range context. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Defense Express 80th Brigade Nona-KPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War Ukrainian use by reporting 80th Air Assault Brigade operation of a 120 mm 2B16 Nona-K and describing Bakhmut, border, and Kursk-operation employment context. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Ukrainian forces seized Russian 2B16 Nona-KPublisher: Militarnyi | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War captured-equipment context by reporting a Russian 2B16 Nona-K towed artillery system captured by Ukrainian forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-052B16 gun-howitzer-mortar 3.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary 2B16 Nona-K image, identifying a 120 mm gun-howitzer-mortar at the Motovilikha Plants museum under CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-052B16 gun-howitzer-mortar 2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for an additional 2B16 Nona-K gallery image from the Motovilikha Plants museum under CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-05