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The Russian Ground Forces have\u00a0taken delivery of<\/a>\u00a0the first batch of modernized 2C4 Tulip self-propelled 240mm mortars. The 1960s-era weapons were upgraded with new datalinks, communications gear and fire control systems. Russia eventually hopes to modernize all 500 of the vehicles it has in storage.<\/p>\n\u201cIn the course of deep modernization, modern control and communication facilities are installed in the combat vehicles,\u201d\u00a0reads a<\/a>\u00a0Russian Ministry of Defense statement.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore being sent to the troops, all of the examples were inspected under the supervision of military officers.\u201d<\/p>\n Though the 2C4 has a\u00a0nuclear<\/a>\u00a0mission in the past, it is primarily an infantry support weapon designed to destroy fortified positions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt had a nuclear mission, but realistically this is a heavy mortar for destroying fixed positions,\u201d Mike Kofman, a research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses specializing in Russian military affairs, told\u00a0The National Interest<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cIts main advantage is that it can bring a very high explosive mortar round to the fight from a distinctly advantageous angle of attack.\u201d<\/p>\n Modernizing an existing weapon is cheaper than building an entirely new vehicle to so the same job.<\/p>\n \u201cRussia is upgrading these heavy mortars and probably taking them back from the reserves to active service,\u201d Vasily Kashin, a senior fellow at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at Moscow\u2019s Higher School of Economics told The National Interest.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very powerful and effective weapon which can be equipped with guided munitions\u2014 it had one in the past. I do not think we have nuclear ammo for them anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Kofman is doubtful that there are guided munitions currently available for the 2C4. \u201cIn the 1980s investments were made to develop guided munitions for these,\u201d Kofman said.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m skeptical that much of a PGM [precision guided munitions] stockpile remains for this mortar system.\u201d<\/p>\n Though the PGM stockpile for the 2C4 240mm gun might have been diminished in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the vehicles\u2019 new fire-control system will allow for newer and better ammunition to used. \u201cNow they have upgraded the fire control system,\u201d Kashin said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhich will give it better accuracy at longer range and this makes it a most powerful field artillery system\u2014although with relatively short range.\u201d<\/p>\n Though the 2C4 was originally developed as a nuclear-capable weapon, it is doubtful that the Kremlin would ever use that capability again. There are far better ways to deliver a nuclear weapon in the modern-era that were not available in the 1960s when the Tulip was developed.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m skeptical that any operationally assigned\u00a0nuclear warheads<\/a>\u00a0remain for this system, or that the crew are still trained for nuclear delivery,\u201d Kofman said. \u201cLets remember that this was really a creature of 1960s and 1970s when everything was nuclear.\u201d<\/p>\n As Kofman noted, nuclear capability required more than just the physical ability to launch a nuclear weapon. \u201cTo have a\u00a0nuclear mission<\/a>\u00a0you need to have the command and control, training, etc. that would allow you to do nuclear release,\u201d Kofman said.<\/p>\n As such, the Tulip is no longer a nuclear weapons platform, but it should be a capable re-addition to the Russian Ground Forces.<\/p>\n