Munitions

Mortar bombs, 82 mm

Also known as
  • 82mm mortar bombs
  • 82 mm mortar rounds
  • 82mm mortar shells
  • O-832 mortar bomb
  • VO-832DU
  • PP87 82 mm mortar shell
  • W87 82 mm mortar projectile

This entry covers the 82 mm mortar-bomb caliber class rather than a single factory model. Sources document the class in insurgent and paramilitary materiel from Boko Haram-linked forces in the Lake Chad Basin, Islamic State stocks in Syria and Iraq, and RSF-associated PP87 mortar ammunition in Sudan, while manufacturer and ordnance references show that model-specific weight, filling, fuze, and range figures vary across O-832, PP87, HE, smoke, illumination, and extended-range families.

Mortar bombs, 82 mm, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb, Munitions
Image source: Shell for USSR 82-mm mortar

Role in Conflicts

2023 Sudan War
Fire Support

Human Rights Watch identified Type PP87 82 mm HE mortar munitions as RSF-used ammunition in the 2023 Sudan War, citing June 2024 video of RSF-camouflage personnel unpacking the shells and a November 2023 RSF video claiming capture from the SAF in Omdurman; Amnesty separately documented 2023-made PP87 mortar bombs in East Darfur and other parts of Sudan while noting uncertainty over the Darfur user and import path.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Multiple countries; documented in Lake Chad Basin, Islamic State, and Sudan conflict materiel
Type
82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb
Service note
Cold War to present 82 mm mortar ammunition family
Designer
Multiple national ordnance design bureaus
Designed
1930s onward for Soviet-pattern 82 mm mortar ammunition families
Produced
1930s-present, depending on model and manufacturer
Number built
Not publicly aggregated

Specifications

Caliber
82 mm
Projectile type
Unguided, fin-stabilized mortar bomb for compatible 82 mm smoothbore mortars
Common effects
HE fragmentation, smoke, illumination, incendiary, long-range, and other special-purpose variants depending on manufacturer and model
Representative HE weight
About 3.1-3.23 kg for several O-832/VO-832DU/HE-fragmentation examples; individual models vary
Representative HE filling
About 0.4-0.64 kg TNT or comparable filling in cited HE examples
Representative range
Agencija Alan lists 90 m to 4,850 m for one 82 mm HE bomb; range depends on bomb, launcher, propellant charges, and firing table
Fuze examples
Nose-mounted point-detonating or super-quick fuzes such as M-6, M-6H, or M68P1 on common HE variants
Charge system
Primary plus increment charges; cited products list examples such as 0+6 or 1+4 charges
Compatible launchers
82 mm smoothbore mortars, including Mod 1937/1941/1943, 2B9 Vasilek, 2B14 Podnos, M82, and other Russian/Soviet-standard patterns where source-specific compatibility is documented
Family And Model Limits

This page groups source-backed 82 mm mortar-bomb families by caliber and effect, so model-specific figures should not be read as universal. O-832/VO-832DU, PP87/W87, smoke, illumination, and extended-range rounds share the 82 mm mortar-bomb role but differ in construction, filling, fuze, propellant charges, and compatible firing tables.

HE examples

Cited HE rounds cluster around 3.1-3.23 kg, but explosive filling and range vary by model.

Sources: Mortar Bomb 82mm HE; 82mm Mortar Round HE 82 FRAG; GICHD Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine.

Effect variants

Manufacturer and specialist sources identify HE-fragmentation, extended-range, smoke, illumination, and other special-purpose 82 mm rounds.

Sources: Mortar Bomb 82mm HE; 82mm HE ER Mortar Bomb; DPS/PP87-82 (82 mm HE Mortar Bomb).

Conflict rows

Conflict rows are limited to sources that directly document 82 mm mortar munitions in the named conflict; launcher or general ammunition sources are kept as background.

Sources: Weapons of the Islamic State; Weapons and Ammunition Dynamics in the Lake Chad Basin; Fanning the Flames.

Variants

This page treats 82 mm mortar bombs as a caliber-family entry, not a single factory model. Variant rows separate common HE-fragmentation bombs, Soviet/Russian-pattern O-832-family designations, Chinese PP87/W87-family rounds, and longer-range or special-effect rounds where sources identify them.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
82mm Mortar Round VO-832DU, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb / mortar round, Munitions82mm Mortar Round VO-832DUSoviet-pattern HE fragmentation family

GICHD identifies O-832 as a common 82 mm high-explosive round and notes an improved 53-O-832DU example; the linked VO-832DU page covers a Bulgarian round in this same designation family.

Sources: GICHD Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine, 82mm HE Mortar Bomb VO-832DU

Representative 82 mm HE fragmentation bombsGeneral HE-fragmentation class

Manufacturer pages describe 82 mm HE mortar bombs as fin-stabilized ammunition for muzzle-loading smoothbore 82 mm mortars, with representative masses around 3.1 kg and TNT fillings around 0.4-0.64 kg depending on model.

Sources: Mortar Bomb 82mm HE, 82mm Mortar Round HE 82 FRAG

PP87 / W87-family 82 mm roundsChinese 82 mm mortar-bomb family

Fenix Insight identifies DPS/PP87-82 as a Chinese 82 mm HE-fragmentation mortar bomb, while CAR and Sudan conflict sources document Chinese W87 or PP87 82 mm mortar munitions in Islamic State and Sudanese-war contexts.

Sources: DPS/PP87-82 (82 mm HE Mortar Bomb), Weapons of the Islamic State, Fanning the Flames, New weapons fuelling the Sudan conflict

Extended-range and special-effect 82 mm roundsRange-extension, smoke, illumination, and other effects

Specialist and manufacturer references document extended-range HE and other 82 mm mortar-bomb types, but performance figures should stay model-specific rather than class-wide.

Sources: 82mm HE ER Mortar Bomb, Mortar Bomb 82mm HE

Carrier Drones

Oboronka documents the UB82D as an FPV drone with an integrated 82-mm mine.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
FPV drones, First-person-view small UAV / one-way attack drone, Aircraft & UAVsFPV dronesFPV drone

Ukrainian Armor codifies the UB82D as an FPV drone with an integrated 82-mm mine.

Sources: Ukrainian Armor codifies FPV drone with 82mm mine

Firing Weapons

This 82 mm mortar-bomb class is documented as compatible with 82 mm smoothbore mortars, including Russian and Soviet-standard patterns.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar, 82 mm automatic gun-mortar, Artillery82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar82 mm automatic mortar

Arcus lists the 2B9 Vasilek among the compatible smoothbore 82 mm mortars for its VO-832DU HE mortar bomb.

Sources: 82mm HE Mortar Bomb VO-832DU

2B14 Podnos, 82 mm smoothbore mortar, Artillery2B14 Podnos82 mm light mortar

Arcus lists the 2B14 Podnos among the compatible smoothbore 82 mm mortars for its VO-832DU HE mortar bomb.

Sources: 82mm HE Mortar Bomb VO-832DU

81/82 mm mortar, 81/82 mm crew-served medium mortar, Artillery81/82 mm mortar82 mm portable smoothbore mortar launcher

Commercial and reference sources describe 82 mm mortar bombs as intended for firing from 82 mm smoothbore mortar systems, and the 82 mm mortar class is documented as using unguided fin-stabilized 82 mm mortar bombs.

Sources: Mortar Bomb 82mm HE, 82mm HE ER Mortar Bomb

Timeline

Mortar bombs, 82 mm Key Events

  1. Chinese W87 packaging documented in Kobane

    Conflict Armament Research documented tube packaging for a Chinese W87 82 mm mortar projectile in Kobane, Syria, during its Islamic State weapons investigation.

    Sources: Weapons of the Islamic State

  2. Matching W87 lot documented in Tikrit

    CAR documented tube packaging for a Chinese W87 82 mm mortar projectile with the same lot number in Tikrit, Iraq, linking the munition lot across IS materiel documented in Syria and Iraq.

    Sources: Weapons of the Islamic State

  3. PP87 mortar bombs documented in Sudan

    Amnesty International documented 2023-manufactured Chinese PP87 82 mm mortar bombs in Sudan, while Human Rights Watch identified RSF-associated PP87 82 mm mortar munitions from 2023-2024 videos.

    Sources: New weapons fuelling the Sudan conflict, Fanning the Flames

Media

Mortar bombs, 82 mm Images

Mortar bombs, 82 mm, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: Russian soldier passed a 82mm mortar shell
Mortar bombs, 82 mm, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb, Munitions - view 2
Source: Mortar mine 82 mm front
Related Weapon Systems
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Sources

Weapons of the Islamic StatePublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War and 2013 War in Iraq direct conflict use: CAR documented Chinese W87 82 mm mortar projectile packaging in Kobane, Syria, and matching-lot packaging in Tikrit, Iraq, during its Islamic State weapons and ammunition investigation. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Weapons and Ammunition Dynamics in the Lake Chad BasinPublisher: United Nations Department of Peace Operations / United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs / Lake Chad Basin Commission | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency direct conflict use: 82 mm mortar bombs used by Boko Haram are listed among main manufactured ammunition, with acquisition through battlefield capture or illicit-market diversion. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Weapon Supplies Fuelling Terrorism in the Lake Chad CrisisPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports background on CAR field documentation of weapons and ammunition seized from JAS/Boko Haram and ISWAP-linked groups around Lake Chad. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Mortar Bomb 82mm HEPublisher: Agencija Alan | Note: Supports 82 mm HE mortar-bomb specifications, smoothbore mortar compatibility, fin stabilization, super-quick fuze, and example manufacturer/export-supplier context. | Accessed: 2026-07-0482mm HE Mortar Bomb VO-832DUPublisher: Arcus JSC | Note: Supports O-832/VO-832DU family context and 82 mm mortar-bomb compatibility with 2B9 Vasilek, 2B14 Podnos, M82, and other smoothbore 82 mm mortars. | Accessed: 2026-07-04GICHD Explosive Ordnance Guide for UkrainePublisher: Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining | Note: Supports O-832 82 mm mortar-round identification context, including the improved 53-O-832DU example and representative O-832-family dimensions, fuze, and filling. | Accessed: 2026-07-0482mm HE ER Mortar BombPublisher: CAT-UXO | Note: Supports 82 mm mortar-bomb background and compatibility context for the HE ER mortar bomb family. | Accessed: 2026-07-04DPS/PP87-82 (82 mm HE Mortar Bomb)Publisher: Fenix Insight METIS | Note: Supports background on a Chinese 82 mm standard-range, nose-fuzed HE-fragmentation mortar-bomb family. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Fanning the FlamesPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2023 Sudan War direct conflict use: Type PP87 82 mm mortar munitions used by the RSF are identified from videos showing RSF personnel unpacking shells and RSF-claimed capture from the SAF in Omdurman. | Accessed: 2026-07-04New weapons fuelling the Sudan conflictPublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Supports 2023 Sudan War direct conflict use: PP87 82 mm mortar bombs used in Sudan are documented in Al-Daein, East Darfur, and RSF seizure of PP87 mortars from the SAF in November 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Kenyan Weapons Linked to Sudan's Civil WarPublisher: Bellingcat | Note: Supports 2023 Sudan War direct conflict use: Type PP87 82 mm HE mortar bombs fielded by RSF-linked forces are documented in Salha/Omdurman depot videos and in video of RSF-camouflage personnel unpacking the munitions. | Accessed: 2026-07-0482mm Mortar Round HE 82 FRAGPublisher: BULCOMERS KS Ltd. | Note: Supports representative 82 mm HE-fragmentation mortar-bomb weight, explosive filling, length, fuze, and Russian-standard mortar compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Shell for USSR 82-mm mortarPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing for the primary image of 82 mm mortar shells. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Russian soldier passed a 82mm mortar shellPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for a photograph of a Russian soldier handling an 82 mm mortar shell. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Mortar mine 82 mm frontPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the 82 mm mortar-fragment gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Ukrainian Armor codifies FPV drone with 82mm minePublisher: Oboronka | Note: Supports the carriedBy relationship by documenting the UB82D as an FPV drone with an integrated 82-mm mine. | Accessed: 2026-07-04