Munitions

3F5 Smelchak

Also known as
  • 1K113 Smelchak
  • 1K113 Daredevil
  • Smel'chak
  • 3F5
  • 3VF4 shot

The 3F5 Smelchak is the guided 240 mm projectile in the Soviet 1K113 Smelchak artillery-weapon complex, pairing a heavy high-explosive mortar round with a laser designator and shot-synchronization equipment. Built for the M-240 and 2S4 Tyulpan heavy mortar family, it gives a siege-style 240 mm mortar a short-range precision-fire option documented in Afghanistan and in Russian use during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

3F5 Smelchak, Laser-guided 240 mm mortar round, Munitions
Image source: File:2S4 Tyulpan ARMY-2022.jpg

Role in Conflicts

1979 Soviet-Afghan War
Side
Soviet Union and Afghan government forces
Role in conflict
Precision heavy mortar fire against fortified positions

GlobalSecurity's account of the 1K113 Smelchak system describes the first echelon being sent to Afghanistan in 1985 and says 3F5 rounds were used in the Charikar valley and Panjshir gorge.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
Laser-guided 240 mm mortar round
Service note
Developed in the 1980s
Designed
1980s
Produced
1980s

Specifications

Caliber
240 mm
Projectile mass
134 kg
Shot mass
158 kg reported for the 3VF4 shot
Length
1,635 mm
Warhead
21.4 kg explosive charge, about 32 kg TNT equivalent
Guidance
Semi-active laser homing with terminal correction thrusters
Range
3.8 to 9.2 km reported for the guided round
Target designation
1D15 or 1D20 laser designator-rangefinder with 1A35 shot synchronization equipment
Firing Weapons

The 3F5 Smelchak is a 240 mm laser-guided mortar round documented for use with the M-240 towed mortar and the 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled heavy mortar; the catalog currently has a linked page for the 2S4.

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

TWZ explicitly documents Russian forces using 2S4 Tyulpan mortars to fire Smelchak rounds in Ukraine, while ArmyInform and Militarnyi describe the 3F5 as a Soviet 240 mm guided round for self-propelled and towed 240 mm mortars.

Sources: TWZ Smelchak, ArmyInform Smelchak, Militarnyi Smelchak sighting

Guidance And Fire-Control Chain

The 1K113 Smelchak complex is more than a projectile: sources describe a coordinated 240 mm mortar shot, laser-designator team, and shot-synchronization system that lets the 3F5 correct only near the end of flight.

ElementDocumented roleSources
3VF4 shot / 3F5 projectile240 mm corrected high-explosive projectile with a 134 kg projectile mass and terminal correction motors.1K113 Smelchak; ArmyInform Smelchak
1D15 or 1D20 designatorLaser designator-rangefinder used by an observation team to illuminate the target for the projectile's terminal seeker.1K113 Smelchak; ArmyInform Smelchak
1A35 synchronization equipmentShot-synchronization equipment links the firing position and observation post so laser illumination occurs during the final seconds of flight.1K113 Smelchak; ArmyInform Smelchak
2S4 Tyulpan, 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar, Artillery2S4 TyulpanSelf-propelled 240 mm heavy mortar publicly documented firing Smelchak rounds in Ukraine.TWZ Smelchak; Militarnyi Smelchak sighting
Timeline

3F5 Smelchak Key Events

  1. 1K113 complex developed

    ArmyInform describes the laser-guided 1K113 Smelchak artillery-weapon complex as a 1983 Soviet development built around the 3VF4 shot and 3F5 corrected 240 mm projectile.

    Sources: ArmyInform Smelchak

  2. Combat use reported in Afghanistan

    GlobalSecurity says the first echelon with the Smelchak complex went to Afghanistan in 1985 and describes 3F5 use in the Charikar valley and Panjshir gorge.

    Sources: 1K113 Smelchak

  3. Azovstal use reported

    TWZ reported Russian 2S4 Tyulpan mortars firing Smelchak laser-guided rounds at the Azovstal steel plant during the siege of Mariupol.

    Sources: TWZ Smelchak

  4. Ukraine-focused technical summary

    ArmyInform tied public footage of Russian Smelchak use to Mariupol and summarized the 1K113 system's 3F5 projectile, laser designator, and 1A35 synchronization components.

    Sources: ArmyInform Smelchak

Media

3F5 Smelchak Videos

Related Weapon Systems
2S4 Tyulpan, 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2S4 Tyulpan240 mm self-propelled heavy mortarThe 2S4 Tyulpan is a Soviet 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar built around a large breech-loaded 2B8 mortar on a tracked chassis. Its unusually heavy bombs, guided and special-purpose ammunition options, and low rate of fire make it a siege and bunker-attack weapon rather than a conventional rapid-fire howitzer. Soviet and Russian forces used it in Afghanistan and Chechnya, and Russian forces have fielded or lost examples in Ukraine, where its size and firing signature make it a high-value counter-battery target.
53-F-864 / F-864 240 mm mortar bomb, 240 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb, MunitionsMunitions53-F-864 / F-864 240 mm mortar bomb240 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bombThe 53-F-864, commonly cited as F-864 and also rendered 3OF-864 in Tyulpan references, is a Soviet 240 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb for the M-240 / 2S4 Tyulpan heavy-mortar family. It is notable as a very heavy conventional mortar round: Human Rights Watch documented F-864 bombs in Syrian army shelling of Homs, and technical references report a projectile mass of about 130 kg and a maximum Tyulpan range of about 9.65 km.

Sources

Militarnyi Smelchak sightingPublisher: Militarnyi | Note: Direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source for reported Russian use of 1K113 Smelchak / 3F5 high-precision mortar rounds near Avdiivka; also identifies them as laser-guided 240 mm mortar rounds for 240 mm mortars. | Accessed: 2026-06-291K113 SmelchakPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports caliber, mass, length, warhead weight, range, guidance equipment, and the guided-mortar-system context for the 3F5 Smelchak round; also directly describes 1985 Soviet-Afghan War combat use. | Accessed: 2026-06-29TWZ SmelchakPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source for Russian use of Smelchak laser-guided rounds from 2S4 Tyulpan mortars at Azovstal, and background source for the round's Soviet 1980s development and 2S4 compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-06-29ArmyInform SmelchakPublisher: ArmyInform | Note: Direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source for Russian use of Smelchak guided munitions against Ukrainian cities, including footage associated with Mariupol; also supports 1K113 system components, 3F5 projectile data, and firing from M-240 or 2S4 Tyulpan mortars. | Accessed: 2026-06-29File:2S4 Tyulpan ARMY-2022.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance context for the catalog image used on this relationship page. | Accessed: 2026-06-29