The combat effectiveness of the Nona-K artillery: From museum exhibit to precision fire in Ukraine.
Ukraine's 80th Brigade deployed restored 2B16 Nona-K artillery pieces from museums, demonstrating superior accuracy despite limitations in range and the threat from UAVs.
In the context of a shortage of military equipment, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have put into service many rare weapons, even artifacts taken from museums. Most notably is the case of the 2B16 Nona-K artillery piece from the 80th Galician Air Assault Brigade. This is an old Soviet weapon, originally displayed as a memorial before being re-mobilized for actual combat operations.
The journey from memorial to battlefield
According to Commander Serhiy, this particular Nona-K artillery piece has been in storage since 2003. At the end of 2022, it was removed from display at the National Army Academy in Lviv. After restoration, in early 2023, it was transferred to the brigade unit and has provided effective fire support for the past three years.
Despite being an older weapon system and having been left outdoors for a long time, the Nona-K remains highly effective. This weapon is capable of destroying a wide variety of targets, including infantry, bunker systems, enemy mortar positions, as well as light tanks and self-propelled artillery.
Combat effectiveness at Bakhmut and Kursk
The combat history of this "antique" artillery piece began at the Bakhmut front, where it directly participated in city defense operations. Later, the unit continued to use the Nona-K to support troops on the border during the Kursk campaign. Unit commanders noted that many targets were accurately destroyed thanks to this artillery piece.
Specifications and drawbacks of range
Despite its high accuracy, the Nona-K still has certain technical limitations, particularly in its range. In the modern combat environment dominated by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), its short range becomes a major challenge for the gun crew.
| Parameter | Effective value | Maximum value |
|---|---|---|
| Range (depending on the type of ammunition) | 7 - 8.8 km | 12.8 km |
To overcome this drawback, Ukrainian units must pay special attention to camouflage techniques and systematic training for artillery crews. Currently, the artillery is being temporarily withdrawn from direct combat to await the spring and summer, when the terrain is more heavily wooded (green areas), providing safer concealment from enemy reconnaissance equipment.
The challenge lies in ammunition and the available quantity.
Another problem faced by Ukrainian artillery forces was the quality of their ammunition. At one point, nearly one-third of the rounds supplied to these artillery pieces failed to explode. However, thanks to the accuracy of the artillery itself, the crews were still able to inflict significant damage on the enemy even with limited ammunition.
According to data from the Oryx portal, since 2022, the Ukrainian Army has captured at least eight Nona-K howitzers as war trophies from Russia. The combination of captured howitzers and restored artifacts from museums has helped maintain some of the firepower capabilities of Ukrainian airborne units in the current conflict.
