The 2S31 Vena is a Russian 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar that mounts the semi-automatic 2A80 weapon system on a BMP-3 amphibious tracked chassis. Rosoboronexport markets it as a highly automated direct- and indirect-fire system with a 70-round ammunition load, 360-degree turret traverse, and 600 km cruising range. Its public combat record is limited but source-backed: Azerbaijani examples appeared in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, while Russian examples were reported near Bakhmut during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Azerbaijan fielded Russian-made 2S31 Vena vehicles during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting; postwar Russian defense reporting described the type as having undergone combat validation in Karabakh and noted Azerbaijan's 18-vehicle fleet.
Russian forces were reported using 2S31 Vena vehicles near Bakhmut in 2023, with Russian state-television footage and later reporting describing an artillery battalion combat-testing the small Vena fleet in Ukraine.
Role detailsThe 2S31 Vena is best read as a hybrid fire-support vehicle rather than as a conventional howitzer or a simple mortar carrier. Its turreted 2A80 120 mm rifled gun-mortar can fire high-angle mortar missions and lower-angle direct-fire missions from the same BMP-3-derived vehicle, while the automated fire-control package is the feature most often emphasized in export material.
2A80 120 mm semi-automatic rifled gun-mortar with -4 to +80 degree elevation and full turret traverse.
BMP-3 amphibious tracked platform with a 600 km cruising range in Rosoboronexport's export data.
Azerbaijan's order was reported as 18 vehicles; Russian service use appears limited and episodic in public reporting.
Sources: Rosoboronexport 2S31 Vena; Army Recognition 2S31 Vena; Today.Az Vena Order; Popular Mechanics Ukraine Debut.
The Vena sits in the Nona-derived Russian 120 mm gun-mortar family, but public sources treat it as a distinct BMP-3-chassis system rather than as a major production branch with named subvariants.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Tracked airborne predecessor family | The 2A80 gun-mortar is described as a longer-range development path from the 2A51 weapon used on the 2S9 Nona family. Sources: Army Recognition 2S31 Vena |
 | Wheeled Nona-family branch | The 2S23 is the wheeled Nona-family counterpart already cataloged separately; the Vena applies the later gun-mortar concept to a BMP-3-derived tracked chassis. Sources: Army Recognition 2S31 Vena, Rosoboronexport 2S31 Vena |
The Vena is not a BMP-3 infantry carrier variant in role, but its artillery system is built around the same amphibious tracked platform family.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Tracked amphibious chassis family | Rosoboronexport and Army Recognition both describe the 2S31 Vena as mounted on or based on the BMP-3 armored tracked amphibious platform. Sources: Rosoboronexport 2S31 Vena, Army Recognition 2S31 Vena |
Army Recognition describes the 2S31 Vena as a Russian self-propelled artillery unit developed in 1996 on the BMP-3 chassis.
Sources: Army Recognition 2S31 Vena
Today.Az, citing APA, reported that Azerbaijan's 2012 agreement covered 18 Vena self-propelled guns and that Russia expected to complete deliveries by the end of 2014.
Sources: Today.Az Vena Order
Russian defense reporting stated that Azerbaijani 2S31 Vena vehicles were first used during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting.
Sources: VPK Karabakh Combat Use
Popular Mechanics reported that Russian state television showed a 2S31 Vena near Bakhmut and described Russian airborne troops combat-testing the type in an artillery battalion.
Sources: Popular Mechanics Ukraine Debut
