Munitions

3B11 nuclear projectile

Also known as
  • 3VB11
  • 3WB11
  • 3ВБ11
  • 3Б11
  • RD-14

The 3B11 was the projectile in the Soviet 3VB11 240 mm rocket-assisted nuclear mortar round for the M-240 and 2S4 Tyulpan heavy mortars. Specialist ordnance references describe the round as a 3B11 projectile with an RD-14 special warhead, 3M15 rocket motor, 4BN56 propelling charge, and 3Ch20 brake device. ARES places it in a late-1960s-to-1980s Soviet rocket-assisted family alongside 3F2 Gagara, 3O8 Nerpa, and Sayda.

3B11 nuclear projectile, 240 mm rocket-assisted nuclear mortar projectile, Munitions
Image source: File:Soviet 240mm mortar shell.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
240 mm rocket-assisted nuclear mortar projectile
Service note
Cold War
Designed
1967-1970

Specifications

Caliber
240 mm
Role
Nuclear special-purpose mortar projectile / complete round component
Complete round
3VB11 / 3ВБ11
Projectile
3B11 / 3Б11 active-reactive mortar projectile
Warhead
RD-14 special warhead, described by soviet-ammo as a nuclear charge in a 9N232 body
Propulsion
Rocket-assisted with a 3M15 motor
Propelling charge
4BN56
Brake device
3Ch20
Compatible systems
M-240 towed mortar and 2S4 Tyulpan / 2B8 self-propelled heavy mortar family
Range
ARES gives the 240 mm rocket-assisted family range as roughly 18 to 19.6 km, varying by type, versus about 9.65 km for standard F-864 rounds
Family context
One of four Soviet 240 mm rocket-assisted projectile types also including high-explosive, cargo, and incendiary rounds
Variants

The 3B11 is treated here as a special-purpose nuclear projectile within a wider 240 mm mortar ammunition family. Linked rows point to existing public records; 3F2 Gagara is included as sourced family context without an internal link.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
3F2 GagaraHigh-explosive rocket-assisted projectile

ARES and Opisy Broni identify 3F2 Gagara as the high-explosive member of the same Soviet 240 mm rocket-assisted family for the M-240 / 2S4 heavy-mortar lineage.

Sources: Soviet 3O8 240 mm rocket-assisted cargo projectiles in Syria, Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 Tulipan

3O8 Nerpa, Rocket-assisted cargo projectile for 240 mm mortars, Munitions3O8 NerpaCargo rocket-assisted projectile

ARES identifies 3O8 Nerpa as the cargo projectile in the same 240 mm rocket-assisted family and documents the shared 3M15 rocket-motor context.

Sources: Soviet 3O8 240 mm rocket-assisted cargo projectiles in Syria

Sayda incendiary round, Incendiary 240 mm rocket-assisted projectile, MunitionsSayda incendiary roundIncendiary rocket-assisted projectile

ARES and Opisy Broni identify Sayda as the incendiary member of the same Soviet 240 mm rocket-assisted projectile family.

Sources: Soviet 3O8 240 mm rocket-assisted cargo projectiles in Syria, Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 Tulipan

53-F-864 / F-864 240 mm mortar bomb, 240 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb, Munitions53-F-864 / F-864 240 mm mortar bombConventional high-explosive mortar bomb

Opisy Broni and Army Recognition place the 53-F-864 / 3OF-864 conventional HE bomb in the same 240 mm M-240 / 2S4 ammunition ecosystem; it is related by firing system and caliber rather than by nuclear role.

Sources: Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 Tulipan, 2S4 Tyulpan M-1975

3F5 Smelchak, Laser-guided 240 mm mortar round, Munitions3F5 SmelchakLaser-guided 240 mm mortar round

Army Recognition says the 2S4 Tyulpan can fire the Smelchak laser-guided mortar projectile, making it related through the same 240 mm firing system rather than through the 3M15 rocket-assisted family.

Sources: 2S4 Tyulpan M-1975

Firing Weapons

The 3B11 nuclear projectile belongs to the Soviet 240 mm rocket-assisted family documented for the 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled heavy mortar and the towed M-240 mortar. The catalog currently has a public linked record for the 2S4.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
2S4 Tyulpan, 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar, Artillery2S4 Tyulpan240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar

ARES identifies the 3B11 as one of four Soviet 240 mm rocket-assisted projectiles designed for the 2S4 Tyulpan and M-240 mortar family, and The National Interest separately documents the 3B11 nuclear shell in the 240 mm mortar system context. Army Recognition identifies the 2S4's 240 mm mortar as the 2B8 and describes the Tyulpan ammunition set as including nuclear munitions.

Sources: Soviet 3O8 240 mm rocket-assisted cargo projectiles in Syria, This Russian 'Big Gun' Only Had One Purpose: To Destroy a City, Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 Tulipan, 2S4 Tyulpan M-1975

240 mm Projectile Family

The 3B11 sits inside a larger Soviet 240 mm ammunition context. ARES identifies it with the 3M15 rocket-assisted family for the M-240 and 2S4 Tyulpan, while broader Tyulpan references also distinguish conventional and guided 240 mm rounds fired by the same heavy-mortar family.

RoundRoleRelationship to 3B11
3F2 GagaraHigh-explosive rocket-assisted projectileARES and Opisy Broni place 3F2 in the same 240 mm rocket-assisted family that includes 3B11.
3O8 Nerpa, Rocket-assisted cargo projectile for 240 mm mortars, Munitions3O8 NerpaCargo rocket-assisted projectileARES identifies 3O8 as the cargo member of the same 3M15-powered 240 mm family.
3B11Nuclear rocket-assisted projectileThe special-purpose nuclear projectile in the family; soviet-ammo identifies the complete round as 3VB11 and the projectile as 3B11.
Sayda incendiary round, Incendiary 240 mm rocket-assisted projectile, MunitionsSaydaIncendiary rocket-assisted projectileARES and Opisy Broni place Sayda with the same 240 mm rocket-assisted projectile set.
53-F-864 / F-864 240 mm mortar bomb, 240 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb, Munitions53-F-864 / F-864Conventional high-explosive mortar bombNot part of the 3M15 rocket-assisted set, but it is the baseline 240 mm HE mortar bomb in the same M-240 / 2S4 ammunition ecosystem.
3F5 Smelchak, Laser-guided 240 mm mortar round, Munitions3F5 SmelchakLaser-guided 240 mm mortar roundRelated by caliber and firing system rather than by the 3M15 rocket-assisted family; Army Recognition lists Smelchak among rounds the 2S4 can fire.

Sources: Soviet 3O8 240 mm rocket-assisted cargo projectiles in Syria; Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 Tulipan; Боеприпасник - 240 - 3B11; 2S4 Tyulpan M-1975.

Timeline

3B11 nuclear projectile Key Events

  1. Soviet work on special 240 mm ammunition begins

    Opisy Broni says the Soviet Council of Ministers approved work on the 240 mm program on 4 July 1967, after preliminary work had already begun in 1966.

    Sources: Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 Tulipan

  2. 3WB11 / 3B11 development follows

    The same article says the improved active-reactive 3WB11 with a 3M15 rocket motor and the 3B11 projectile followed three years later.

    Sources: Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 Tulipan

Round Breakdown

The 3B11 page is best read as a munition-component record, not as a separate launch weapon. The Russian ordnance reference Боеприпасник identifies 3ВБ11 as the complete 240 mm round and 3Б11 as the active-reactive projectile inside it. In that breakdown, the projectile carries the RD-14 special warhead and uses the 3M15 rocket motor, while the complete round also includes the 4БН56 propelling charge and 3Ч20 brake device.

Related Weapon Systems
3OF50 High-Explosive Fragmentation rocket-assisted projectile, 120 mm rocket-assisted HE-fragmentation projectile, MunitionsMunitions3OF50 High-Explosive Fragmentation rocket-assisted projectile120 mm rocket-assisted HE-fragmentation projectileThe 3OF50 is a Soviet-era 120 mm rocket-assisted high-explosive fragmentation projectile for Nona-family gun-mortars such as the 2S9 Nona and 2S23 Nona-SVK. Specialist ammunition references describe a spin-stabilised, nose-fuzed projectile with an A-IX-2-filled warhead and integral rocket motor, while Ukraine explosive-ordnance identification material lists the round among munitions discovered on Ukrainian territory.

Sources

Soviet 3O8 240 mm rocket-assisted cargo projectiles in SyriaPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports background context for the Soviet 240 mm special-purpose projectile family and identifies the 3B11 nuclear projectile as one of the types using the 3M15 rocket motor. | Accessed: 2026-07-05This Russian 'Big Gun' Only Had One Purpose: To Destroy a CityPublisher: The National Interest | Note: Supports the 2S4 Tyulpan family context and the existence of a nuclear 3B11 shell for the 240 mm mortar system. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Боеприпасник - 240 - 3B11Publisher: soviet-ammo.ucoz.ru | Note: Supports the 3VB11 complete-round designation, 3B11 active-reactive projectile designation, RD-14 special warhead, 3M15 rocket motor, 4BN56 propelling charge, 3Ch20 brake device, and 2S4 and M-240 compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Samobieżny moździerz 2S4 TulipanPublisher: Opisy Broni | Note: Supports the 1967 start date for the Soviet 240 mm program, the 1970 3WB11 / 3B11 development milestone, and the family context for the nuclear projectile. | Accessed: 2026-07-052S4 Tyulpan M-1975Publisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the 2S4 Tyulpan firing-system context, the 2B8 240 mm mortar designation, conventional 3OF-864 ammunition, rocket-assisted projectile range, nuclear and chemical ammunition class context, and Smelchak compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-07-05File:Soviet 240mm mortar shell.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the representative 240 mm mortar shell photo; the file page identifies it as a 53-F-864 shell for the 2S4 Tyulpan and lists CC BY-SA 4.0 reuse terms. | Accessed: 2026-07-05