Profile
- Type
- 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar
- Conflict side
- RussiaRussian-backed separatist forces
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Introduced in the 1970s; retained in Russian service during the Russia-Ukraine War
Artillery
2S4 Tyulpan
The 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 and low rate of fire make it a siege and bunker-attack weapon rather than a conventional rapid-fire howitzer, and Russian forces have used or lost examples in Ukraine where its size and firing signature make it a high-value counter-battery target.
- Conflict side
- RussiaRussian-backed separatist forces
- Built by
- Uraltransmash
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
Service History
- In service
- Reached full operational capability with the Soviet Army in 1975
- Used by
- Russian Ground Forces, Russian-backed separatist forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War, Soviet-Afghan War, Chechen Wars
Production History
- Designer
- Uraltransmash design bureau; 2B8 mortar developed by Perm Machine Construction Works
- Designed
- Late 1960s to early 1970s
- Built by
- Uraltransmash
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
- Unit cost
- 210,000 rubles reported for 1972
- Produced
- 1972-1988 series production reported
- Number built
- 588 reported by WeaponSystems.net
- Variants
- 2S4, 2S4M modernized variant
Specifications
- Caliber
- 240 mm 2B8 breech-loaded mortar
- Ammunition
- 130 kg 3OF-864 high-explosive bomb; 228 kg rocket-assisted projectile reported
- Range
- 800 m minimum; about 9.5-9.65 km with standard bombs and up to 18-19.7 km with rocket-assisted projectiles
- Rate of fire
- About 1 round per minute
- Crew
- 4 carried in the vehicle, with additional reload crew in a support vehicle
- Combat weight
- About 27,500 kg
- Mobility
- Tracked chassis with V-59 V-12 diesel engine; about 60 km/h road speed and 500 km cruising range
- Protection
- Welded steel armor against small-arms fire and artillery splinters; crew exposed while operating the mortar
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: RussiaRussian-backed separatist forces
Russian and Russian-backed forces have fielded the 240 mm 2S4 Tyulpan in Ukraine: OSCE monitors reported a 2S4 in DPR-controlled territory in 2015, and Oryx has visually documented Russian 2S4 losses during the 2022 full-scale invasion.
Related Weapon Systems
2S7M Malka203 mm tracked self-propelled gunThe 2S7M Malka is the modernized variant of the Soviet 2S7 Pion, a tracked 203 mm self-propelled gun built for high-power artillery missions against deep or hardened targets. The Malka upgrade increased carried ammunition and rate of fire, added newer communications and control equipment, and has been documented in Russian long-range fire and counterbattery roles during the Russia-Ukraine War.
2S9 NonaAir-droppable 120 mm self-propelled mortarThe 2S9 Nona is a Soviet airborne self-propelled mortar built around a 120 mm gun-mortar on a tracked amphibious BTR-D-derived chassis. Designed to give airborne and other high-mobility units organic indirect fire, it combines mortar-style high-angle fire with limited direct-fire capability and remains documented in Russia-Ukraine War service with both Russian and Ukrainian forces.
2S1 Gvozdika122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S1 Gvozdika is a Soviet 122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built around the 2A31 gun on an amphibious armored chassis derived from the MT-LB family. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains a common short-to-medium-range artillery system for both Russian and Ukrainian forces, combining mobility, indirect fire, and widespread 122 mm ammunition compatibility.
2S19 Msta-S152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S19 Msta-S is a Soviet-designed, Russian-produced 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built to replace earlier 2S3 and 2S5 artillery systems with longer-range fire, automated laying variants, and armored cross-country mobility. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Russian tube-artillery system and as captured equipment operated by Ukrainian units, making it part of the conflict's counter-battery and trophy-equipment record.
2S23 Nona-SVK120 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-mortarThe 2S23 Nona-SVK is a Russian 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar that adapts the Nona artillery system to a BTR-80 8x8 armored chassis. Its rifled 2A60 weapon can provide direct or indirect fire with mortar bombs and artillery projectiles, giving motorized units a compact battalion-level fire-support vehicle. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian 2S23s have appeared in battlefield reporting and visually confirmed loss records, including destroyed and captured vehicles.
2S3 Akatsiya152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S3 Akatsiya is a Soviet 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built around the 2A33 gun and a turreted armored chassis. Designed for divisional fire support and accepted into service in 1971, it remains relevant in the Russia-Ukraine War because Russian forces still use legacy Akatsiya batteries for indirect fires despite newer self-propelled artillery types.Sources
2S4 Tyulpan M-1975Publisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports development background, manufacturer context, weapon layout, ammunition, range, mobility, and Russia-Ukraine War deployment context. | Accessed: 2026-06-202S4 TyulpanPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports origin, production, Uraltransmash producer attribution, designations, ammunition, range, and mobility specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, 5 July 2015Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | Note: Supports direct Russia-Ukraine War context by reporting OSCE monitoring of a 2S4 in DPR-controlled territory during the Donbas phase of the war. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Direct conflict-use source for the Russia-Ukraine War: visually documented Russian 2S4 Tyulpan losses show the system was fielded by Russian forces during the 2022 full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:2S4 Tyulpan ARMY-2022.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the primary catalog image; the file page identifies the subject, author, date, and CC BY-SA 3.0 license. | Accessed: 2026-06-20