2B1 Oka, (Russian: "2Б1 Ока" - "Oka River"), is a Soviet 420 mm (17 in) self-propelled heavy mortar. 2B1 is its GRAU designation. It was designed to deliver tactical nuclear payloads, however it was plagued by technical issues caused by the sheer size of the gun and the massive recoil during firing.

Jun 6, 2022 · 2B1 Oka Engineers were tasked with creating a mobile artillery system that could fire a nuclear shell out to a range of almost 30 miles (45 km). This was no easy task, reflected by the sheer ridiculousness of what they produced.

Mar 19, 2025 · At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed an enormous tank-based, nuclear warhead-firing mobile mortar cannon. The 420-mm self-propelled mortar 2B1 "Oka" in Saint-Petersburg...

Oct 8, 2018 · The 2B1 "Oka" was a short-lived, heavy-class, self-propelled gun system developed by the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Such large-caliber guns had proven the norm for decades and found renewed importance during World War 1 and into the interwar years leading up to World War 2.

Jul 29, 2018 · The 2B1 “Oka” mortar with its 20-meter long 420mm gun was an impressive sight. Charging of the gun was carried out from a side breech. All devices intended to handle the recoil energy after the shot had very limited suitability. The hull and undercarriage played the role of the kickback dampener.

Jul 4, 2021 · It was a self-propelled howitzer, essentially an armored tank hull without a turret that had an artillery piece mated to the top. The Oka used a T-10 heavy tank hull as a chassis. The T-10 was...

Jul 22, 2024 · The Soviet 2B1 Oka is a monumental yet short-lived piece of Cold War artillery. Displayed at the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Oka was an ambitious project involving a 420mm gun capable of launching up to 28 miles.

Oct 14, 2022 · 2B1 "Oka" is a Soviet-designed mobile, large-caliber artillery piece that is built to fire nuclear-tipped ammunition, according to Interesting Engineering. It was...

On November 7, 1957, at the military parade in Moscow, the Oka was first shown to the international public together with a 406 mm self-propelled gun on the same chassis. The demonstration of...

Jan 24, 2025 · Everyone who would be in the artillery museum in St. Petersburg was probably amazed at the size of the 2B1 Oka self-propelled mortar, which is one of the most interesting exhibits on display. This 420-mm self-propelled mortar, designed in the USSR in the mid-50s of the last century, is the largest mortar in the history of mankind.