| The Vasilyek is a breech-loaded, recoil-operated mortar fed by four-round clips. The cyclic rate of fire is 40 to 60 rds/min
but a clip of four rounds can be fired in two seconds. The 82-mm barrel is mounted on a towed, split trail, wheeled
carriage and in action the weapon rests on the trail legs and a forward extendible leg that is lowered by a handwheel,
with the main carriage raised off the ground. The ordnance then rests on a turning plate allowing 10° of traverse but
the saddle is not fixed directly to the plate. Instead, it is supported by hydraulic elevators that can extend the
ordnance into a high angle for indirect fire. For this the saddle, cradle, ammunition feed tray and ordnance are elevated
together and moved forward so that at full elevation the trunions are above the carriage axle. Elevation is from 0 to 80°.
The 2B9 can be fired as a mortar, using bombs loaded manually from the muzzle, at a high barrel elevation angle, or for
automatic direct fire in the manner of a light or anti-tank gun (direct sights are provided) using the breech magazine
loading feature. Range for direct fire is 1000 m and combat ranges are between 100 and 5000 m. The weapon can be
towed but is normally transported under canvas covers on the cargo area of a modified GAZ-66 (4 x 4) 2000 kg truck. A
number of tracked MT-LB multi-role armored vehicles have been fitted with an 82-mm Vasilyek automatic mortar.
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