Artillery

KBA-48M 82 mm mortar

Also known as
  • KBA-48M
  • KBA-48M1
  • KBA48M1-02
  • KBA-48M1 82 mm mortar
  • KBA 48 M1 82 mm mortar
  • КБА-48М
  • КБА-48М1
  • КБА48М1-02

The KBA-48M is a Ukrainian 82 mm portable mortar family developed by Design Bureau "Artillery Armament" from the Soviet 2B14 Podnos pattern. Public sources describe a 48.6 kg mortar with a titanium-alloy weight-saving design, a 4 km firing range, and KBA-48M1/KBA48M1-02 service-production designations; Come Back Alive and Militarnyi document KBA-48M1 mortars transferred to Ukrainian units during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

KBA-48M 82 mm mortar, 82 mm portable mortar, Artillery
Image source: Sea Breeze 19: Mortars and Night Range

Role in Conflicts

2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Fire Support

Come Back Alive lists 250 KBA-48M1 mortars among weapons transferred to Ukrainian troops, and Militarnyi reported KBA-48M1 mortars delivered to Ukraine's 21st Mechanized Brigade and already operating on the front line.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Ukraine
Type
82 mm portable mortar
Service note
1990s-present
Designer
Design Bureau "Artillery Armament"
Designed
1997 baseline KBA-48M development reported in Ukrainian artillery reference material
Developed from
2B14 Podnos 82 mm mortar

Specifications

Caliber
82 mm
Weight in battery
48.6 kg
Barrel length
1,220 mm
Elevation
+45 to +85 degrees
Traverse
-4 to +4 degrees; 360 degrees by moving the bipod in Ukrainian artillery reference material
Rate of fire
Up to 15 rounds per minute in SpetsTechnoExport listing; up to 24 rounds per minute in KBA-48M1 references
Firing range
Up to 4,000 m
Minimum range
90-100 m depending on source
Muzzle velocity
211 m/s in SpetsTechnoExport listing
Crew
3 people
Travel-to-fire time
30 seconds in Ukrainian artillery reference material
Ammunition compatibility
82 mm mortar bombs; Ukrainian Military Pages says KBA-48M1 can also fire Western-pattern 81 mm mortar bombs
Design And Designation Notes

The public record treats the KBA-48M family as a Ukrainian 82 mm light mortar lineage rather than a clean set of separately documented submodels. SpetsTechnoExport presents KBA-48M as a reduced-weight titanium-alloy 82 mm mortar, Ukrainian Military Pages identifies KBA-48M1 as the KBAO-produced 2B14-derived variant, and ArmyInform names KBA48M1-02 in a 2021 production-capacity discussion.

Lineage

Ukrainian artillery reference material describes KBA-48M as a 1997 Design Bureau "Artillery Armament" modification of the Soviet 2B14 Podnos.

Weight-saving feature

The export listing highlights reduced weight through titanium alloys while retaining a 48.6 kg firing-position weight in the published data.

Ammunition note

Ukrainian Military Pages says the KBA-48M1 can fire Western-pattern 81 mm mortar bombs, a compatibility note separate from its 82 mm caliber.

Sources: KBA-48M; 82 mm KBA-48M1 mortar; STNP 07-28(202) mortar handbook; ArmyInform KBAO interview.

Variants

Open sources use KBA-48M for the baseline/export family, KBA-48M1 for the Ukrainian-service variant, and KBA48M1-02 as a later production/supply designation; the available public record does not justify splitting them into separate catalog pages.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
KBA-48M1Ukrainian-service 82 mm mortar variant

Ukrainian Military Pages identifies the KBA-48M1 as a KBAO-developed and produced 82 mm mortar variant based on the Soviet 2B14 Podnos.

Sources: 82 mm KBA-48M1 mortar

KBA48M1-02Production and supply designation

ArmyInform reported in 2021 that KBAO was ready to increase production and supply of 82 mm KBA48M1-02 mortars for Ukrainian military needs.

Sources: ArmyInform KBAO interview

Ammunition Fired

The KBA-48M1 is an 82 mm mortar, but Ukrainian reference material also states that it can fire Western-pattern 81 mm mortar bombs.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
Mortar bombs, 81mm, 81 mm mortar bomb, MunitionsMortar bombs, 81mmWestern-pattern 81 mm mortar bombs

Ukrainian Military Pages states that the KBA-48M1 can fire Western-pattern 81 mm mines; the linked record covers the broad 81 mm mortar-bomb class rather than a single model.

Sources: 82 mm KBA-48M1 mortar

Timeline

KBA-48M 82 mm mortar Key Events

  1. KBA-48M development lineage recorded

    A Ukrainian rocket-forces and artillery reference places KBA-48M development in 1997 at the Kyiv Design Bureau "Artillery Armament" and describes it as a modification of the Soviet 2B14.

    Sources: STNP 07-28(202) mortar handbook

  2. KBA-48M1 public profile published

    Ukrainian Military Pages profiled the KBA-48M1, identifying KBAO as developer and manufacturer and listing its 82 mm caliber, 4,000 m firing range, three-person crew, and ability to fire Western-pattern 81 mm mortar bombs.

    Sources: 82 mm KBA-48M1 mortar

  3. KBAO discusses KBA48M1-02 supply capacity

    ArmyInform reported KBAO statements that the enterprise was ready to increase production and supply of 82 mm KBA48M1-02 mortars and other weapons for Ukrainian forces.

    Sources: ArmyInform KBAO interview

  4. KBA-48M1 mortars delivered to 21st Mechanized Brigade

    Militarnyi reported that Come Back Alive-delivered KBA-48M1 mortars had reached the brigade's units and were already operating on the front line.

    Sources: KBA-48M1 mortars delivered to 21st Mechanized Brigade

Media

KBA-48M 82 mm mortar Videos

KBA-48M 82 mm mortar Images

KBA-48M 82 mm mortar, 82 mm portable mortar, Artillery - view 1
Source: Sea Breeze 19: Mortars and Night Range
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Sources

KBA-48MPublisher: SpetsTechnoExport | Note: Supports the KBA-48M identity, 82 mm caliber, titanium-alloy weight-saving description, weight, laying angles, traverse, rate of fire, muzzle velocity, aiming range, and maximum firing range. | Accessed: 2026-07-1382 mm KBA-48M1 mortarPublisher: Ukrainian Military Pages | Note: Supports KBAO as developer and manufacturer of the KBA-48M1, its 2B14 Podnos-derived background, components, 81 mm mortar-bomb compatibility note, 82 mm caliber, weight, barrel length, range, rate of fire, carried ammunition, and crew. | Accessed: 2026-07-13STNP 07-28(202) mortar handbookPublisher: Scientific Research Center of Rocket Forces and Artillery | Note: Supports KBA-48M 1997 development at Kyiv Design Bureau "Artillery Armament", 2B14 lineage, 82 mm mortar specifications, conversion times, and KBA-48M1 firing-table context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13ArmyInform KBAO interviewPublisher: ArmyInform | Note: Supports KBAO identity, defense-industrial context, the KBA48M1-02 designation, 2021 production/supply-capacity statements, and KBAO deliveries to Ukrainian forces since 2014. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Front Edge WeaponsPublisher: Come Back Alive Foundation | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War conflict use: Come Back Alive lists 250 KBA-48M1 mortars among weapons transferred to Ukrainian troops under its wartime weapons project. | Accessed: 2026-07-13KBA-48M1 mortars delivered to 21st Mechanized BrigadePublisher: Militarnyi | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War conflict use: the report says Ukrainian-made 82 mm KBA-48M1 mortars were delivered to the 21st Mechanized Brigade and were already operating on the front lines. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Sea Breeze 19: Mortars and Night RangePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Marine Corps photo captioned as Ukrainian marines setting up a KBA 48 M1 82 mm mortar system during Sea Breeze 19. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Sea Breeze 19: Mortars and Night Range AlternatePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Image provenance for an additional public-domain U.S. Marine Corps photo from the same Sea Breeze 19 KBA 48 M1 mortar sequence. | Accessed: 2026-07-13