Russian motorized infantry unit receives Nona-SVK self-propelled mortar.

An artillery battalion of the mountain motorized infantry large unit based in the Tuva Republic in southern Siberia has been rearmed with advanced 120mm Nona-SVK self-propelled mortars, Russian Central Military District spokesman Colonel Yaroslav Roshchupkin said.

The 2S23 Nona-SVK 120mm self-propelled mortar carrier (Credit Vitaly Kuzmin)

"Nona-SVK artillery systems that are the most effective weapons in mountainous terrain have been delivered to the Central Military District’s motorized infantry brigade based in the Tuva Republic under the state defense procurement program," the spokesman said.

"The brigade’s artillery units have been fully rearmed with advanced weapons," he added.

The Nona-SVK artillery system is designed to eliminate enemy targets at a distance of up to 12.5 kilometers (7.8 miles). It can fire guided artillery projectiles with hit probability of 0.8-0.9 (80-90 percent). The artillery system can deliver indirect and direct fire. It can fire all types of 120mm mortar bombs, including foreign-made ones.

In the autumn of 2017, units of the Central Military District’s mountain motorized infantry brigade deployed from Kyzyl accomplished combat training tasks during a joint counterterrorism exercise at the Forish training range in Uzbekistan and peacekeeping maneuvers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kazakhstan.