Munitions

3OF36 mortar bomb

Also known as
  • OF-36
  • OF36
  • 3ОФ36
  • ОФ36
  • ОФ-36
  • 3VOF57
  • 3ВОФ57
  • 3VOF69 round
  • 3VOF69
  • 3ВОФ69

The 3OF36 is a Soviet/Russian 120 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb used in 3VOF57 and 3VOF69 mortar rounds for Soviet-family 120 mm mortars. Most public references document it through ammunition tables and compatibility with 120-PM-43, PM-43, and 2S12/2B11-family weapons, while the narrow conflict-use evidence currently supports only Ukrainian improvised explosive-device use during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

3OF36 mortar bomb, 120 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb, Munitions
Image source: 120 mm 3OF49 and 3OF36 high explosive rounds

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm
Type
High-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb
Body
High-strength cast iron body in METIS summary
Common marking
OF36 / OF-36 short-form marking for the 3OF36 GRAU index
Shell weight
16.1 kg
Explosive fill
3.16 kg
Maximum range (3VOF69 / 2B11-family tables)
7.1 km
Maximum range (3VOF57 / PM-38 and PM-43-family tables)
5.7 km
Shot index (M1938 / 120-PM-43 family)
3VOF57
Shot index (2B11 family)
3VOF69
Compatible mortars
2B11 and other 120 mm Soviet-family mortars
Variants

Open references distinguish the 3OF36 bomb from the complete mortar-round shot index: 3VOF57 identifies the older PM-38/PM-43-family loading, while 3VOF69 identifies the 2B11/2S12-family loading with a longer-range charge.

  • 3VOF57
  • 3VOF69
Firing Weapons

Reference tables for the 2B11 mortar family list 3OF36 as one of the HE/FRAG rounds fired by that weapon.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
2S12 Sani, 120 mm heavy mortar system, Artillery2S12 Sani120 mm heavy mortar system

Rostec identifies 3VOF69 as a 120 mm round with the 3OF36 HE-fragmentation bomb and describes the munition as usable across field mortars and automated self-propelled systems; the 2B11 table lists the same 3VOF69 / 3OF36 combination for the Sani-family mortar.

Sources: Rostec Technodinamika Partner 2021 Ammunition, 2S12 Ammunition Manual, 2B11 Ammunition Table, 120 mm 3OF49 and 3OF36 high explosive rounds

PM-43, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, ArtilleryPM-43120 mm towed heavy mortar

The older Soviet mortar firing-table line lists the 3VOF57 shot with the 3OF36 bomb for PM-38/PM-43-family 120 mm mortars, with a shorter 5.7 km table range than the 2B11-family 3VOF69 loading.

Sources: M1938 mortar, 2S12 Ammunition Manual

Published Ammunition Tables

Open reference tables assign the 3OF36 shell index to more than one 120 mm mortar family. The bomb designation stays the same, but the shot index and range vary by reference set.

FamilyShot indexWeight / fillRange
PM-38 / PM-43 table3VOF5716.1 kg / 3.16 kg5.7 km
2B11 / 2S12 table3VOF6916.1 kg / 3.16 kg7.1 km

Sources: M1938 mortar; 2B11 Ammunition Table; 2S12 Ammunition Manual.

Timeline

3OF36 mortar bomb Key Events

  1. Listed in Soviet firing-table references

    Open M1938/PM-43-family reference tables cite Soviet firing tables that list the 3OF36 bomb as the projectile in the 3VOF57 shot.

    Sources: M1938 mortar

  2. 2S12 ammunition manual covers 3VOF69

    The Soviet Ministry of Defence 2S12 ammunition manual is cataloged as covering 3VOF57 and 3VOF69 among the 120 mm mortar rounds for the system.

    Sources: 2S12 Ammunition Manual

  3. Publicly displayed at Russia Expo Arms

    A Wikimedia Commons photo from Russia Expo Arms 2013 shows 3OF36 alongside 3OF49 high-explosive rounds.

    Sources: 120 mm 3OF49 and 3OF36 high explosive rounds

  4. Reported in Ukrainian IED configuration

    Ukraine Weapons Tracker identified two 3OF36 120 mm mortar bombs wired with another 120 mm mortar bomb as a daisy-chain IED in Ukrainian special-forces hands; Defence24 republished the identification in its Ukraine-war coverage.

    Sources: Defence24 Ukrainian IED Mortar Bombs

Media

3OF36 mortar bomb Images

3OF36 mortar bomb, 120 mm high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: 120 mm mortar shell RUK-museo 2.JPG
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.
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.

Sources

2B11 Ammunition TablePublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports the 2B11 ammunition table entry listing 3OF36 as a HE/FRAG round, along with the round's mass, explosive fill, and maximum range for the mortar family. | Accessed: 2026-07-052S12 Ammunition ManualPublisher: Soviet Ministry of Defence | Note: Supports the 1990 2S12 ammunition-manual context for the 120 mm mortar rounds 3VOF57 and 3VOF69. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Rostec Technodinamika Partner 2021 AmmunitionPublisher: Rostec | Note: Supports the 3VOF69 designation as a 120 mm round with the 3OF36 high-explosive fragmentation mortar bomb and the compatibility statement spanning field mortars to automated self-propelled systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-05M1938 mortarPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports the 1967 firing-tables reference that lists 3OF36 as the 3VOF57 table entry and gives the associated round mass, explosive fill, and range for the older mortar family table. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Defence24 Ukrainian IED Mortar BombsPublisher: Defence24 | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use by reproducing the Ukraine Weapons Tracker identification of two 3OF36 120 mm HE mortar bombs wired with another mortar bomb as a daisy-chain IED in Ukrainian special-forces hands. | Accessed: 2026-07-05OSMP 265 OF-36 UkrainePublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: Supports a separate open-source record identifying an OF-36 120 mm unguided surface-to-surface mortar projectile reported in Ukraine in 2017; used as supporting conflict-context evidence rather than as a side-specific use claim. | Accessed: 2026-07-05METIS 3OF36 Mortar BombPublisher: Fenix Insight METIS | Note: Supports 3OF36 / OF36 identity, Soviet/Russian manufacture context, high-capacity HE-fragmentation mortar-bomb type, high-strength cast-iron body, and short-form OF36 marking. | Accessed: 2026-07-05120 mm 3OF49 and 3OF36 high explosive roundsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the 3OF36 round shown alongside 3OF49 at Russia Expo Arms 2013. | Accessed: 2026-07-05120 mm mortar shell RUK-museo 2.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a museum photograph of a 120 mm mortar shell used here as a class illustration for the 3OF36 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-05CAT-UXO 120mm Of 36 Mortar BombPublisher: CAT-UXO | Note: Supports the 120 mm OF-36 / 3OF36 designation and its identification as a mortar bomb. | Accessed: 2026-07-05