2S4 Tyulpan

It saw use in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Chechnya, and Ukraine.

• Name — 2S4 Tyulpan • Type — Self-propelled heavy mortar • Origin — Soviet Union • Is Ranged — yes • Is Artillery — yes • Is Vehicle — yes • Service — 1975−present • Used By — See Operators • Wars — Lebanese Civil War Soviet-Afghan War First Chechen War Second Chechen War Russo-Ukrainian War • Designer — Yuri V. Tomashov Yuri N. Kalachnikov • Manufacturer — Uraltransmash • Number — 450 • Mass — 27500 kg • Length — 7.94 m • Width — 3.25 m • Height — 3.225 m • Crew — 4+5 • Rate — 1 rpm • Max Range — 18000 m • Elevation — 50°−80° • Traverse — 10° • Armour — Steel • Primary Armament — 240 mm 2B8 mortar (40 rounds) • Secondary Armament — PKT machine gun (1,500 rounds) • Engine — V-59, V12 Diesel engine • Engine Power — 520 hp • Pw Ratio — 18.9 hp/t • Suspension — Torsion bar • Clearance — 0.4 m • Fuel Capacity — 850 l • Vehicle Range — 500 km • Speed — 60 km/h

During and after World War II, the Soviets designed and made use of towed heavy mortars, such as the 160 mm mortar M1943, which was one of the heaviest mortars in general use during the war (second only to the German Karl-Gerät self-propelled heavy mortars), and the post-war 240 mm mortar M240. The first self-propelled mortar was the 2B1 Oka, based on the Iosif Stalin tank chassis capable of firing a shell at a distance of 45 km. A few examples were built and paraded in the early 1960s, but ultimately the Oka wasn't adopted due to Nikita Khrushchev's preference for missiles over heavy guns. The towed M240, used by artillery regiments of rifle divisions during the 1950s until they were reassigned in the late 1950s to heavy mortar battalions, proved to be rather impractical in combat: the 3OF-864 shell weighted 130 kg, which made difficult for crews to load the weapon without the aid of a small crane. According to the US Marine Corps Intelligence, the Soviets desire for a self-propelled mortar was renewed with the development of nuclear projectiles. Although the Soviet Army was well supplied with nuclear Luna-M rockets and R-11 Zemlya tactical ballistic missiles, nuclear shells had the advantage of being less bulky and having greater accuracy. Additionally, the 240 mm mortar shells of the M240 also have a greater destructive effect than artillery shells of comparable caliber, making them well suited for striking protected targets, such as entrenched command centers, enemy forces on reverse slopes of hills, or enemy defensive fortifications. Development of a practical self-propelled mortar started in the early 1960s by Yuri V. Tomashov's Design Bureau at Uraltransmash plant under the designation Obiekt 305. It combined the GM chassis with a modified version of the 240 mm M240 mortar, the 2B8 developed by Yuri N. Kalachnikov at the Perm Machine Building Plant. It was introduced into the Soviet Army in the early 1970s as the 2S4 Tyulpan ('Tulip'), reaching full operational status in 1975, being designated by Western intelligence as the M-1975 240 mm self-propelled mortar.

• A modernized variant was introduced into service with Russian military in 2017. It has a new barrel, hydraulic recoil mechanism, communication systems, and positioning and fire-control system.

• Illustration — Video of Tyulpan in action According to Foss, around 450 vehicles were built in total, while the Russian Federation hasn't disclosed any production figures. Foss also points out that the Russians maintain a small number of 2S4s in front line service due the weapon short range and low rate of fire. The Tyulpan was exported to Czechoslovakia, Iraq, and Lebanon. It is no longer in service with these countries. The 2S4 saw action during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya. According to Isby, the Soviets made use of heavy artillery including the 2S4 in Afghanistan in early months of 1980. By 1984, they were brought back to action against the Afghan mujahideen. Use of 240 mm mortars was reported during the Lebanese Civil War, with the Lebanese Forces receiving at least 3 2S4s from Iraq. During the First Chechen War, the Russian Army deployed four 2S4s in the 1994 campaign and ten in the 1996 campaign. During the latter, they were used to bombard rebel positions in Grozny, effectively destroying the city. In the second war against the Chechen rebels, the Russian Army expended about 1,410 HE rounds, 40 anti-personnel rounds and 60 laser-guided rounds between January and February 2000. There were also reports that the Tyulpan may have been used by the Syrian Army during the 2012 bombardment of Homs. However, other reports suggest that the towed M240s were used instead. OSCE observers, monitoring movements of equipment in the war in Donbas with a UAV, spotted a 2S4 on territory under control of the Donetsk People's Republic on 4 July 2015. In May 2022, 2S4 Tyulpan were reported being used in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with 58 units destroyed by Ukrainian forces as of May 2026, as documented by the OSINT research website Oryx. According to Rob Lee of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russian 2S4 crews are "likely a priority for Ukrainian counter-battery fire".

• Illustration — Map with 2S4 operators in blue and former operators in red

• – Estimated to have 7 in service As of 2026 • – According to Foss, Russia had a total of 400 vehicles (including those in storage) in 2011. In February 2026, this number declined to 50 vehicles in active service and 100 in storage, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies

• – 8 received between 1988 and 1989, passed on to successor states • − Remained in service as late as 1994 • Ba'athist Iraq – 10 received in 1983, remained in service as late as 1994 • Forces_Libanaises_Flag.svg Lebanese Forces − 3 received from Iraq in 1988 • − Remained in service as late as 1994 • – 55 were in active service in 1991