Russian airborne self-propelled artillery gun. It can be used as a cannon, howitzer or mortar. It is used to destroy infantry and armored vehicles, suppress enemy firing points and command and observation posts. It is in service with the Airborne Forces, Navy and border troops of Russia, as well as the law enforcement agencies of nine other countries. It was involved in three wars and a special military operation in Ukraine. It was produced until 1989.
The history of the creation of 2C9 "Nona-S"
Due to the rethinking of military doctrine in the late 1950s, the role of the Airborne forces has significantly increased due to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Therefore, it was urgently necessary to re-equip this branch of the armed forces. More powerful An-8 and An-12 aircraft appeared, and the design of new equipment for paratroopers began. As part of the Kupol research project in 1964, the task was set to create a maneuverable vehicle for the Airborne Forces capable of hitting both ground and air targets after being thrown behind enemy lines.
Initially, priority was given to the development of the 120-mm self-propelled mortar 2C8 "Lily of the Valley" and 122-mm howitzer 2C2 "Violet". However, in 1969, after the completion of the Kupol-2 research project, it was decided to design a multifunctional ACS. The work was carried out by the teams of Podolsk CYTOCHMASH and Perm Machine-Building Plant Design Bureau headed by Avenir Novozhilov and Yuri Kalachnikov. The ammunition for the car was developed by GNPP "Basalt". This project was personally supervised by the commander and creator of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov.
Interesting facts: the abbreviation stands for "The latest ground artillery weapon." There is a wheeled version of the Nona-SVK, based on the BTR-80 platform. This CAO was the first in the world adapted for the use of high-explosive fragmentation mines and various projectiles. A total of 1,432 cars were produced. Initially, they were classified, despite the fact that they had already taken part in hostilities. They were first shown to the general public only on May 9, 1985, during the parade on Red Square.
The first prototype, which was assigned the 2C9 index, appeared in 1976. Three years later, a battery of six installations was formed, which was tested at the Rzhevsky landfill. In February 1980, military tests began at the training grounds near Luga and in Azerbaijan. By March, they were completed, and on July 1, the installation was officially put into service. Serial production was carried out in Perm from 1981 to 1989.
The first modification of the 2C9-1 "Sviristelka" appeared in 1985. The paratroopers had to upgrade their existing vehicles to this version on their own, and three years later, its mass production was launched. It features an expanded range of ammunition and more modern equipment. The latest modification is the 2C9-1M version, developed in 2003. Within its framework, key systems (fire control, targeting, navigation, and the like) were automated.
Characteristics and advantages of 2C9 "Nona-S"
The basic version of the Nona-S is based on the BTR-D platform. The hull is 6.02 m long, 2.63 m wide, and 2.3 m high. The weight of the machine with ammunition is 8 tons. The armor is made of welded aluminum sheets. Its thickness in the frontal part is 16 mm. The power plant is located in the aft part of the machine. This is a six-cylinder 5D20 diesel engine with a capacity of 240 hp. It provides movement at speeds up to 60 km/ h on the highway, 9 km / h on the water, as well as a range of up to 500 and 90 km, respectively.
The combat compartment with ammunition is located in the middle part. A pivoting welded turret with gunner and loader workstations is fixed above it. It can be rotated 35° in any direction. With a minor modification of the mechanism (disconnecting the pneumatic hoses), the rotation angle increases to 360°, but it will have to be rotated manually. The seats of the driver and commander of the vehicle are located in the bow.
Interesting facts: The Nona-S is able to swim thanks to its built-in jet propulsion systems. The SLA is adapted for landing from AN-12 (two guns), AN-22 and IL-76 aircraft (up to four vehicles) from an altitude of 500 m to 4 km. For this purpose, the PBS-925 multi-dome parachute systems and the PRSM-925 parachute-jet system are used. With the help of a hydropneumatic suspension, the ground clearance index is changed from 100 to 450 mm. Thanks to this, you can improve the maneuverability of the car or mask it.
Firing is carried out using a 120-mm rifled semi-automatic gun 2A51 with a barrel length of 24.2 caliber. Vertical aiming angles from -4° to +80°. A carbon-type wedge shutter is responsible for sending projectiles. There are 40 constant-steepness rifling marks on the inside of the barrel. In addition, the gun is equipped with a hydraulic spindle rollback brake and a hydropneumatic knurler. The pressure relief is carried out by means of a spring compensator.
Shooting is conducted only when the vehicle stops completely, but without preliminary preparation of the position. Aiming is carried out using 1P8 and 1P30 panoramic instruments. They are equipped with a gunner's place. The charger can monitor due to the presence of the MK-4 device. TNPO-170A prism periscopes are provided for the commander. Communications inside the machine are conducted using the R-174 equipment. The R-123M (or R-173) VHF radio station is used to communicate with command posts and other combat units.
Nomenclature of ammunition 2S9 "Nona-S"
The 2C9 can use all the usual 120mm Soviet mines. For example, high-explosive 53-OF-843B, 3OF34, 3OF36, hitting targets on an area of up to 2,250 m2. Incendiary 3-3-2, creating six fires. Lighting 53-S-843 and smoke 3D5, providing a ten-meter curtain with a length of about 200 m. Their mass is about 16 kg, and the firing range is up to 7.25 km. The muzzle velocity of the listed ammunition is up to 331 m/s.
It is possible to fire high-explosive 3OF49 shells, which are equipped with contact (3B35) or radio fuses (AR-5). The combat range of such ammunition is more than 8.8 km, and their muzzle velocity is 367 m/s. In addition, 3OF50 active-rocket projectiles and Kitolov-2 guided complexes are used, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 12 km. The destruction of armored objects is carried out using cumulative 3BK19 from a distance of up to 1 km.
The maximum firing range (17 km) is achieved with the use of foreign APCM shells. French PR-14, PRAB, PRPA, PEPA, PEPA-LP, M44/66, ACED cluster munitions and PRECLAIR lighting can also be used. Turkish high-explosive fragmentation MKE Mod209, cluster MKE Mod258, lighting MKE Mod236, as well as smoke MKE Mod226 and MKE Mod250. In some cases, Spanish MAT-120 mines are used.
Worldwide distribution and modern use of 2C9 "Nona-S"
The Russian Airborne Forces are armed with 210 vehicles of various modifications. Another 350 are in storage. 30 SLA are registered as part of the coastal forces of the Navy. The FSB border guard has several copies. 18 units were delivered to Azerbaijan. Belarus' security is provided by 48 vehicles. Kyrgyzstan uses 12 basic version systems. Nine pieces are at the disposal of Moldova. Turkmenistan uses 17 machines, while Uzbekistan uses 54 units.
Interesting facts: a documentary film was shot about this self-propelled gun "Nona-S 2C9. Polygon". She is featured in the computer games Brick rigs and "Confrontation. 3D. Reboot". The Russian manufacturer of prefabricated models GE Models produces copies of "Nona" in 1/72, 1/43 and 1/35 scales. Individual specimens are part of the expositions of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Troops in St. Petersburg, the Central Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow, Patriot Park in Kubinka and many other museums.
Several 2S9 "Nona-S" were deployed to Syria. In 2012, deliveries of 18 wheel systems to Venezuela were completed. 20 copies are still in use by Ukraine. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, 40 2S9S were transferred to the local army. Kazakhstan and Vietnam decommissioned their 25 and 30 machines, respectively. India and Iraq are also former operators of the system.
Combat use of 2S9 "Nona-S"
The 2S9 "Nona-S" first entered combat in 1982, during the war in Afghanistan. Of these, self-propelled artillery battalions were formed, which were structurally subdivided into three batteries, each consisting of six vehicles. In total, there were 70 units in Afghanistan that provided support to the stormtroopers and paratroopers. The systems have demonstrated versatility and superiority over other mortars when moving over rough terrain. But there were also disadvantages: a small amount of ammunition and rapid wear of the tracks.
These vehicles were used by federal troops during the storming of Grozny as part of the first Chechen War. It was also reported that the Nona-C successfully repelled a militant attack on a convoy of Russian equipment in the Shatoi district in 1996. During the same period, four vehicles were involved in the UN peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, these systems made a significant contribution to the victory in the second Chechen campaign. One of the most striking episodes was the battle near the town of Novogrozny.
"Nona-S" was used to a limited extent during the operation to force Georgia to peace in 2008. However, these systems have become more actively involved after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. In particular, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation demonstrated footage of the successful use of these systems during the assault on Artemovsk (Bakhmut). UAV calculations always work in conjunction with the SLA data. They provide guidance, fire correction, and objective control of target damage.
So, with the help of 2S9, the AFU stronghold in the Kleshcheyevka area was destroyed. In April 2023, a recording of paratrooper strikes on enemy positions in the Donetsk direction was demonstrated. A year later, the Black Sea Marines reported on the destruction of the observation post of the Ukrainian army on the right bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson direction. It was also reported that several Ukrainian Nona-S were eliminated by Russian aircraft and UAVs. Despite all the advantages, this machine is very vulnerable to mine explosions.
Conclusion
2C9 "Nona-S" is still a system that has no analogues in the world. It is a universal weapon capable of using not only Soviet and Russian, but also NATO ammunition. She is very mobile, can fire in a steep trajectory and effectively fight armored vehicles. Its design formed the basis of a whole series of systems: "Vienna", "Phlox", "Lotus", "Drok", "Malva". The direct analogue of "Nona" is the Chinese PLL05. Despite its 43-year service life, it remains relevant today.
