Munitions

3BK19 high-explosive anti-tank round

Also known as
  • 3BK19 HEAT-FS-T
  • 3BK19 Podstup-2
  • 3БК19
  • 3VBK14
  • 3ВБК14
  • Подступ-2
  • 3V38
  • 3В38

The 3BK19 is a Soviet-developed 120 mm HEAT-FS-T projectile for Nona-family gun-mortars, carried as the projectile in the 3VBK14 semi-fixed round. Open technical references describe a direct-fire anti-armor role at short range, while GRAU-index material and Nona-family ammunition tables distinguish the projectile, fuze, charge, and complete-round designations.

3BK19 high-explosive anti-tank round, 120 mm HEAT-FS-T projectile, Munitions
Image source: File:120 mm 3OF49 and 3OF36 high explosive rounds.JPG
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm
Projectile type
High-explosive anti-tank, fin-stabilized, tracer projectile
Complete round
3VBK14 semi-fixed round
Round weight
13.1 kg
Range
0.04-1.0 km; direct-shot range 590 m
Penetration
600 mm of homogeneous armor
Fuze
3V38 PIBD piezoelectric-based fuze
Propelling charge
4-Z-15 charge assembly
Projectile length
665 mm
Unfired length
960 mm
Direct-Fire Role

The 3BK19/3VBK14 load is documented as a direct-fire anti-armor round inside the broader 120 mm Nona-family ammunition set. That makes it different from the high-explosive and smoke mortar bombs that give the same gun-mortars their indirect-fire role.

Projectile

3BK19 is the HEAT-FS-T projectile; Fenix identifies it as a steel-bodied fin-stabilized tracer projectile.

Complete round

3VBK14 is the semi-fixed round built around the 3BK19 projectile, 3V38 fuze, and 4-Z-15 propelling charge assembly.

Engagement envelope

Specialist references describe the anti-armor use as direct fire at short range, with penetration figures around 600 mm of homogeneous armor.

Sources: 3BK19 - METIS; 3VBK14 - METIS; VPK 2S9 Nona-S article; Desantura Nona-S ammunition table; 2S23 Nona-SVK - Tank Encyclopedia; 2S23 Nona-SVK - Weaponsystems.net.

Firing Weapons

Open references link the 3BK19 projectile and 3VBK14 complete round to Nona-family 120 mm gun-mortars and describe the ammunition as a direct-fire anti-armor load rather than an indirect-fire mortar bomb.

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

VPK says the 2S9 uses cumulative 3BK19 rounds against armored targets in direct fire.

Sources: VPK 2S9 Nona-S article

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

Tank Encyclopedia says the 2S23 Nona-SVK uses the 3BK19 HEAT round for engaging armored vehicles in direct fire, and Weaponsystems.net separately describes the 2S23's dedicated anti-tank HEAT round as effective to 1 km.

Sources: 2S23 Nona-SVK - Tank Encyclopedia, 2S23 Nona-SVK - Weaponsystems.net

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

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

Sources: 2S31 Vena ammunition table

Round Composition

Fenix Insight treats 3BK19 as the projectile component of the 3VBK14 semi-fixed round, and an archived GRAU-index table also lists 3ВБК14 with 3БК19 for Nona. The complete assembly includes a 3V38 PIBD piezoelectric-based fuze and a 4-Z-15 propelling-charge assembly.

DesignationWhat it isReader takeaway
3BK19 / 3БК19HEAT-FS-T projectileThe direct-fire anti-armor projectile itself.
3VBK14 / 3ВБК14Semi-fixed roundThe assembled 120 mm Nona-family load that contains the projectile.
3V38 / 3В38PIBD fuzeThe fuze used in the round's complete assembly.
4-Z-15 / 4-З-15Charge assemblyThe propelling-charge assembly named with the complete 3VBK14 round.

Sources: 3BK19 - METIS, 3VBK14 - METIS, and SALIS3 GRAU index tables.

Related Weapon Systems
120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition, 120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, MunitionsMunitions120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition for rifled gun-mortars120 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.
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.
3VOF54 / 3OF49 high-explosive fragmentation round, 120 mm rifled gun-mortar HE-fragmentation semi-fixed round and projectile family, MunitionsMunitions3VOF54 / 3OF49 high-explosive fragmentation round120 mm rifled gun-mortar HE-fragmentation semi-fixed round and projectile familyThe 3OF49 is the HE-fragmentation projectile used in Soviet and Russian Nona-family 120 mm semi-fixed ammunition. METIS distinguishes the projectile from complete rounds: 3VOF54 combines 3OF49 with the 3V35 impact fuze, while 3VOF54-1 uses the AR-5 radio/proximity fuze. Belspetsvneshtechnika lists both fuze configurations for the 2S9 Nona-S, and VPK attributes Nona ammunition development to Basalt.
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Sources

3BK19 - METISPublisher: Fenix Insight | Note: Describes the 3BK19 as a 120 mm HEAT-FS-T projectile intended for direct fire against armoured targets and identifies it as part of the 3VBK14 round. | Accessed: 2026-07-033VBK14 - METISPublisher: Fenix Insight | Note: Describes the complete 3VBK14 semi-fixed round, its Soviet-era/Russian Federation background, and the 3BK19 projectile with the 3V38 fuze and 4-Z-15 charge assembly. | Accessed: 2026-07-03VPK 2S9 Nona-S articlePublisher: ВПК.name | Note: Describes the 2S9 firing cumulative 3BK19 rounds against armored targets in direct fire. | Accessed: 2026-07-03500 Maketov GRAU index listPublisher: 500 Maketov | Note: Lists the 3ВБК14 120 mm round with the 3БК19 projectile and 4-З-15 charge for mortars and Nona-type guns, and separately identifies the 4-З-15 charge for the 3ВБК14 round. | Accessed: 2026-07-03SALIS3 GRAU index tablesPublisher: Internet Archive | Note: Archived GRAU-index compilation lists 3ВБК14 with the 3БК19 projectile for Nona, supporting the projectile/round designation distinction. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Desantura Nona-S ammunition tablePublisher: Десантура.ру | Note: Nona-family ammunition table lists 3ВБК14 as a cumulative round with 3БК19, 13.1 kg round weight, 0.04-1.0 km range, 590 m direct-shot range, and 600 mm penetration. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Basic Identification of Ammunition in Ukraine v9Publisher: Sappers.org | Note: Specialist ammunition-identification guide lists 120 mm 3BK19 HEAT with 665 mm projectile length, 960 mm unfired length, a pre-scored rotating band, and USSR origin. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S23 Nona-SVK - Tank EncyclopediaPublisher: Tank Encyclopedia | Note: Lists the 3BK19 HEAT round among ammunition fired by the 2S23 Nona-SVK family and describes its direct-fire anti-armor role. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S23 Nona-SVK - Weaponsystems.netPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Specialist reference describing the 2S23 Nona-SVK as a 120 mm gun-mortar that can engage armored vehicles with a dedicated anti-tank HEAT round out to 1 km. | Accessed: 2026-07-032S31 Vena ammunition tablePublisher: Armedconflicts.com | Note: Specialist reference listing 3VBK14 among 2S31 Vena ammunition and identifying the 120 mm 2A80 gun-mortar context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03File:120 mm 3OF49 and 3OF36 high explosive rounds.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a reusable representative photograph of 120 mm 3OF49 and 3OF36 rounds described as ammunition for 2S9 Nona systems and mortars; no clearly licensed exact 3BK19/3VBK14 image was found. | Accessed: 2026-07-03