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Mortars

This is Mortar World

Indirect fire remains a key element on the battlefield, its capacity of supporting infantry
being of paramount importance when things go wrong, as new rules of engagement
seldom allow pre-emptive indirect fire missions to prepare the ground. Artillery systems
are increasing their ranges beyond the 40 kilometre mark, not to mention their accuracy
thanks to guided ammunition and enhanced mobility thanks to truck-mounted solutions.

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Paolo Valpolini

he drawback of such relatively recent

solutions is that there arent many
models available and their protection
hinders their mobility. In addition, as
they are mostly used from forward operating
bases, their range allows them to reach most of
their area of responsibility, but the angle of
impact imposed by ballistics does not always
enable them to reach targets located close to

Capable to fire an 81 millimetre

mortar from the back of a light vehicle,
Expal Eimos has recently obtained its
first commercial success with an
undisclosed country. (Expal)

natural or artificial ground features such as

hills, buildings, etc. In other words: stuff for
mortars. These shorter-range, indirect-fire
weapons are definitely a favoured means of
close-range support by manoeuvre forces.
Not only mortar can easily fire at high angles
to reach close and hidden targets, but its time
on target is much shorter than that of
artillery, if the latter is not operating directly
for the manoeuvre unit.
Mobile mortars, installed either on
tracked or wheeled chassis, are lighter and
more mobile than artillery heavy calibres
(with some exceptions in the 105 millimetre
calibre range), and medium calibres such as 81
millimetre weapons can easily be installed on
light armoured vehicles chassis, with the
benefit of vehicle logistic commonality.
In Eastern Europe self-propelled howitzermortars already existed during the Cold War
like the wheeled 2S9 Nona-S or the tracked
2S31 Vena - the latter aquired by Azerbaijan in
2013. In the West, Patria developed two 120
millimetre turreted systems, the twinbarrelled Amos in service with Finland and
Sweden, and the single-barrel Nemo. The
Amos turret weighs around 4.5 tonnes and
the Nemo about a third of that.
As most kinetic systems, also the mortar is
nowadays required to have pinpoint accuracy.
Although its intrinsic characteristics make it
sensitive to crosswinds (the higher the angle,
the longer the trajectory and the height

reached by the round, the greater the effect of

the wind), guided rounds have eventually
been developed for mortars as well that
reduce collateral damage risks. Better firing
data provided by forward observers and even
infantrymen, using target acquisition systems
of different costs, weights and performances,
also contribute to increasing mortars
accuracy and effectiveness.
As for calibres, the 120 millimetre and the
81 millimetre, with considerable terminal
effects, remain the reference (and smart
ammunition are also available), while 60
millimetre calibres or lower are mostly used
by light infantry and special forces for
immediate support with HE rounds.
Illumination rounds have also been used
extensively in the latest missions, exploiting
the deterrence effect on opponents when
those are caught in the open at night.
I TURRETED SOLUTIONS FROM POLAND

Exhibiting its RAK 120 turreted mortar

system on a Marder tracked IFV at the
national defence exhibition in Kielce in
September 2013, Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW)
from Poland clearly indicated its willingness
to strongly promote it on the international
market (the Rheinmetall Defence Marder
second-hand market export item that is
currently attracting considerable interest
worldwide). Although already selected by
Poland, which should receive the first eight

Huta Stalowa Wola from Poland developed the RAK 120 turreted mortar system,
selected by Poland to be installed on its 8x8 Rosomaks, but also proposed it mounted on
a tracked chassis. (HSW)

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Mortars

FNSS from Turkey developed numerous mortar

carriers from its M113-derived chassis such as the
ACV15 and ACV19. Here a Saudi M113A4 fitted
with TDAs 2R2M 120 millimetre rifled mortar is
being put through its paces. (FNSS)

systems installed onto a Rosomak chassis (as

the Polish-assembled Patria AMV 8x8 is
known), not many technical details have
been unveiled by HSW so far. The turret is
made of welded steel providing Level 1
protection and is armed with a 120/25
millimetre breach-loading smoothbore
mortar. All actuators are electric, elevation
being from +80 to 3, with full 360 motion
in azimuth. The RAK 120 is equipped with a
full automatic loading system that allows to
reach a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute.
Ready-to-use munitions are located in a 20round magazine located in the turret bustle.
This is manually reloaded by the crew via two
openings in the turret rear from the spare
rounds available in the vehicle (40 of them are
stored mostly on the left side of the rear
compartment). The RAK 120 is fully
automated, thus the vehicle can be handled
by only two soldiers (driver and
commander), the commander having full
control via the man-machine interface
installed in his position.
The RAK120 is equipped with integrated
C2 and fire control system, as well as with an
INS/GPS navigation system integrated with
the odometer. Firing can be fully automatic,
the call for fire data package being provided to

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the computer via the C2 system, with the fire

control system handling bearing the required
number of rounds to be fired. However, using
a joystick the commander can control
elevation and azimuth and can carry out the
mission in semi-automatic mode, as the
mortar is equipped with a manual backup. In
indirect fire the RAK 120 can reach ranges of
eight kilometres with standard rounds and
12 kilometres with extended range rounds,
but is able to hit targets at ranges of 500
metres in direct fire. The automatic loading
and the FCS allow Multiple Rounds
Simultaneous Impact firings, which
considerably increase the systems lethality. A
Polish wheeled SP mortar company is said to
field eight systems, subdivided in four
sections, each with two Rosomak-RAK 120
and one Rosomak command post vehicle, a
scout section with four light armoured
vehicles, a logistic section with ammunition
trucks, and a command element with two
Rosomak command posts.
I RIFLED FIREPOWER FROM FRANCE

Leveraging the success of its 120 RT towed

mortar (in service in France and in many
other countries including the United States
where the French weapon is being used as a

base for the Marine Corps Expeditionary

Fire Support System), TDA, part of the
Thales group, developed a self-loading
version known as 2R2M (for Recoiling
Rifled Mounted Mortar). The intention was
to enable 10 to 15-tonne wheeled or tracked
armoured vehicles to fire the mortar without
the need for structural modifications to the
vehicles. The 2R2M uses the rifled barrel of
the 120 RT, which is fitted to a 300
millimetre-stroke hydraulic recoil system
yielding an efficiency of over 75 percent.
Weighing around 1,500 kilograms, it is
mounted on a turntable that can be traversed
220, elevation ranging from 42 (which is
the travelling position allowing the roof
hatches to be closed) to 85. Elevation and
traverse are joystick controlled, the system
being equipped with a navigation unit and
an FCS showing firing data on the section
commander and gunner displays. The
2R2Ms semi-automatic loader produces a
rate of fire between 6 and 10 rounds per
minute. The number of ammunition carried
depends on the overall configuration of the
vehicle, but typically is of 40 rounds. These
can be of two types, standard with a range of
8.1 kilometres, or rocket-assisted with a
range of 13 kilometres.

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Mortars

The 2R2M has been the core of various

development programmes, among which is
the US Marine Corps Dragon Fire I, and is
now being delivered to a series of export
customers on different chassis. In the selfpropelled configuration the 2R2M can
engage a target within one minute and
immediately leave the firing position. FNSS
has integrated the system in its ACV-19
tracked chassis (a derivative of the M113A4),
of which an undisclosed number have been
delivered to Saudi Arabia and eight have
been ordered by Malaysia. A second batch of
2R2Ms is being produced for Malaysia, but
installed on the mortar carrier variant of the
AV-8 8x8 IFV developed by FNSS and
Deftech (this combination currently is at
prototype stage). In Italy the Iveco Oto
Melara Consortium completed a first batch of
12 2R2M-equipped Freccia 8x8 in late 2013
(the type is in its very last qualification
trials). It should also be installed on the
mortar carrier version of the Dardo tracked
IFV, but this programme seems frozen due
to financial constraints. The Sultanate of
Oman acquired six systems, which have
been integrated on Renault Trucks Defense

The XM905 has been

developed taking the
RMS6-L installed on
Stryker mortar carriers
and integrating it on a
rotating platform.
Reloading is the only
manual operation to
have survived. It is in use
in Afghanistan by Special
Forces for forward
operating base
protection. (Ardec)

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VAB wheeled armoured vehicles, while

Saudi Arabia installed an undisclosed
number of systems on upgraded M113s. Not
yet in use in its country of origin, the 2R2M
should become the weapon of choice of the
Mepac mortar carrier version of the Vhicule
Blind MultiRles (VBMR), which is to
replace the VAB as part of the French Army
Scorpion programme.
I SPANISH SP MEDIUM CALIBRE
SOLUTION

In late March 2014 Expal of Spain announced

that it had received a first contract for its
Eimos 81 millimetre (Expal Integrated
Mortar System) from an undisclosed value
and customer, although the Middle and the
Far East seem to be likely areas. According to
company sources the Eimos was tested by
four countries, one of which is the customer
plus two considered to be potential customer
in the near future. The contract includes the
command and control system as well as the
Shepherd forward observing drone.
The Eimos 81 millimetre is an elastic
platform that allows recoil forces to be
considerably reduced, making it suitable for
light vehicles in the Humvee class, as is the
case for the Urovesa Vamtac 4x4 of the abovementioned launch customer. The system uses
Expals long range 81 millimetre mortar

coupled to a hydraulic recoil system which,

according to the company, reduces recoil
forces by 90 percent with a maximum recoil
travel of 300 millimetres. Two electric motors
handle azimuth and elevation movements,
while aiming data is fed by the C2 system,
allowing a first shoot within 10 seconds of
pulling the vehicles handbrake.
In the past the company proposed the
Eimos with two levels of accuracy, but now
Expal is marketing only the top tier version
with GPS/INS navigation system that
guarantees an accuracy of less than two
metres, aiming precision being improved
from 4 to 2 both in elevation and azimuth.
The 81 millimetre mortar ensures a
maximum range of 6.9 kilometres, but can be
replaced with a 60 millimetre unit in less than
three minutes, the smaller calibre weapon
having a range of 4.9 kilometres. The weight of
the whole system depends on configuration,
but remains under 500 kilograms, weight and
recoil imposing minimal or even no
modification to the vehicle suspensions, the
base diameter being 780 millimetres. In the
basic 81 millimetre configuration mounted
on the back of a Vamtac the Eimos can carry
up to 52 ammunition in two racks of 26 each,
on the front left and right of the flatbed.
To maintain the system simple and
relatively cheap the ammunition is handloaded from the muzzle, six ready-to-fire
rounds being available on the turning
platform. To shorten the sensor-to-shooter
interval Expal developed the Techfire, for
Technological Firepower, a computer-based
system that collects data from existing assets
(it is compatible with all communication
systems). Three levels of computers are
available, the Elite Tablet and the Elite MiniTablet PCs, that can be employed as ballistic
computers on board firing units or as Platoon
Commander Computer for fire support
coordination. A smaller Personal Digital
Assistant is also available to be used as
forward observer computer or as ballistic
computer on lighter effectors. Expal also

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Mortars

To improve 60
millimetre mortar
accuracy, especially
when fired by hand,
the US developed a
new fire control
system derived from
one used for 40
millimetre grenade
launchers. (USMC)

developed the so-called unmanned forward

observer. Also known as Shepherd, it is an
electrically powered mini-drone shaped like a
bird to make it less conspicuous. With a
wingspan of 1.65 metres and a length of 0.85
metres, its body is made of Kevlar/Epoxy and
its wings are in triple-compound. The
Shepherd has a maximum take-off weight of
2.8 kilograms and an endurance of around
one hour, with a mission range of 20
kilometres. Its sensor package includes a
Super HAD CCD camera capable to operate
down to 0,01Lux, though an optional
zenithal thermal imager can be fitted either
to replace the daylight camera or to
complement it. The Shepherd speed varies
between 30 and 42 knots, with a loiter speed of
32 knots at 20-300 metres above ground. Its
ceiling is 4,000 metres and maximum launch
altitude 2,500 metres. Company sources
confirmed that Expal is in close talks with the
Spanish military, the system being
considered not only by the Ejercito de Tierra
but also by the Tercio de Armada, the Spanish
Navy Marine Corps.
I US: ALL-ROUND DEVELOPMENTS

In the United Stated the military are looking at

improving static mortars rather than at
vehicle-mounted types, following the huge
effort deployed to complete the nine Stryker
Brigade Combat Teams that received a total of
324 Mistral RMS6-L 120 millimetre systems
installed
on
General
Dynamics
M1129/M1252 Stryker Mortar Carriers.
Mistral is currently ensuring after-sale
support with Elbits backing, Elbit being the

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original designer of the system following its

acquisition of Soltam.
A spin-off of these is the XM-905, an
answer to a Joint Urgent Operational Need
issued by the commander, Combined Joint
Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan,
who identified a gap in base protection assets.
In the XM-905 the RMS6-L is installed on a
round base-plate with three spades and
stakes. An electric motor drives the plate over
360 to orient the weapon in azimuth, electric
actuators handle elevation, and the whole
actuation system is linked to the fire control
system to minimise the time to target. Only
loading remains manual, with the operator
stationed on the turning plate. Mistral
received the contract in March 2013, and 20
systems have been pre-positioned in
Afghanistan together with support
representatives to get fielding process
underway and improve forward operating
bases protection. Known as the Automated
Mortar Protection System it answers the
Improved Enhanced Mortar Target
Acquisition System (I-Emtas). The Emtas
itself was fielded in Afghanistan (10 units)
during Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Americans are also involved in a
series of existing infantry mortar systems
enhancements, mostly aiming at reducing
weight. Part of the Watervliet Arsenal, Bent
Labs are currently working on the M120A1
smoothbore heavy mortar to improve its
performances. A new bipod is being designed
to enable the fire control system to be moved
from the tube to the bipod to reduce
exposure and thereby improve accuracy. A

new base-plate that provides more stability,

while reducing production cost, is also in the
pipeline, as well as a new tube that withstands
a higher pressure, allowing for ammunition
with greater range to be used. Overall the
work done at Watervliet will allow to improve
range by 25 percent, to reduce weight by 16
percent. Full qualification of the redesigned
120 millimetre mortar will take place in
FY15. The laboratory is also working on the
medium and light mortars, although details
have not yet been unveiled. Work is also
ongoing at the Picatinny Arsenal where the
lightweight M252A1 81millimetre Mortar
Weapon is being developed, the system
saving around 13 percent weight compared
to the original M252.
In the light mortar field, the US Marine
Corps is developing a new fire control unit
for its 60 millimetre weapon based on the
TechSolutions and L-3 Warrior systems
Ballistic Sight Module Enhanced (BSMe)
originally developed for handheld grenade
launchers. The work is sponsored by the
Office of Naval Research and carried out by
the US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific
Experimentation Center in cooperation with
industry. The sight is attached to the upper
portion of the barrel and features an integral
red dot sight with automatic brightness
setting for precise daylight aiming, integral
infrared aim and illumination lasers for
precise aiming in low light conditions, and

ATK won the contract for the Accelerated

Precision Mortar Initiative in 2010. The rounds
were delivered to Afghanistan in early 2011,
less than a year later. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)

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An artistic impression of the ATK team solution

proposed for the USMC Precision Extended
Range Munition programme. For this bid ATK is
teamed with GD-OTS and TDA. (ATK)

Teamed with IMI of Israel,

Raytheon is the second contender
for the Precision Extended Range
Munition bid for the US Marine
Corps. (Raytheon)

ballistic tables for different munition types.

The standard sight, which weighs less than
330 grams, has an aiming laser maximum
range of 2,000 metres, the data for the
enhanced version being unavailable; however
it might get close to the maximum mortar
range which is of 3,500 metres. The new
system provides much greater accuracy
especially when the M224 or M224A1

mortars are used as handheld systems. Tests

were so successful that some prototypes have
already been deployed to theatre in
December 2013. Further improvements
developed for the M224 series of mortars
come in the form of a new sling, equipped
with a heat shield to protect users hands, and
that ensures a better transport. The problem
linked to the clanging of the old sling mount

has been eliminated with the adoption of a

new one, thus reducing the risk of giving
away position by noise.
American forces received precision
mortar bombs in spring 2011, when the
XM395 was first deployed to Afghanistan.
The new round was developed by ATK
under the auspices of the Program Executive
Office for Ammunition within the
Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative
(APMI). The XM395 is based on the
M9933/34 mortar body equipped at the
front with a precision guided kit fuse,
derived from 155 millimetre artillery
applications, with an EPIAFS (Enhanced
Portable Inductive Artillery Fuze Setter)
interface and canard directional wings that
allow guiding the round on the target, while
at the back it is fitted with fold-back fins
providing steady in-flight stability and M47
charge increments. Target grids are loaded
via the Precision Lightweight Universal
Mortar Setter, and the system has an
accuracy of 10 metres CEP at the maximum
range. The 13.8 million contract for 5,480
munitions was filed to ATK in April 2010.
The first rounds were delivered in October
and deployed in early 2011. The contract

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Mortars

located in the rounds body. According to the

company the round will have a five-metre
CEP at its maximum 16 kilometre range, but
being guided, it can be aimed 5 off-target aim
to fool return fire from the enemy. In
September 2013 Raytheon announced the
successful completion of its first two Guide
to Hit test series. The tests confirmed that
after launch, the canards and tail fins
deployed and that the round transitioned to
steady flight. They also confirmed that the
round would meet expected range and impact
angle requirements. In summer 2014 both the
ATK and the Raytheon teams will deliver 42
rounds for evaluation during the
demonstration phase of their initial Perm
contract. Upon completion of the
demonstration, the Marine Corps will
evaluate the results and assess them against
requirements through the remainder of FY15.
The Corps is then expected to issue a request
for proposal in FY 2016 for a full and open
competitive procurement programme.
More developments are expected in the
United States: the Army Armament
Research, Development and Engineering
Center portfolio includes programmes such
as the 120 millimetre Guided Enhanced
Fragmentation Mortar, the non-line of sight
81millimetre Precision for Light Forces, the
81 millimetre Automated Direct/Indirect
Fire Mortar and the Extended Range
Projectile Technology Research.
I ISRAEL: WORLDWIDE CO-OPERATION

Elbit recently acquired Soltam, whose Cardom 120 millimetre mortar system has been the
base for US Armys Stryker Mortar Carrier vehicles. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

called for 5,480 XM395 rounds and 156

XM701 inductive fuse setters, linked to the
M32 Lightweight Handheld Mortar Ballistic
Computer. Initially fielded only with the
M120 smoothbore towed mortar, the round
has also been cleared for use on the Stryker
Mortar Carriers M121s in spring 2012.
The US Marine Corps is now looking
into the Perm, a for a longer range 120
millimetre round for its expeditionary fire
support system based on the M327 rifled
mortar. Threshold design requirements are a
range of 16 kilometres, a CEP of 20 metres
and a lethality reaching 80 percent of the
current M1101 HE round. Objective
performances call for a 20 kilometre range, a

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10-metre CEP and the same lethality as the

current HE round. This might be obtained
controlling the round fragmentation effect.
Two teams are competing for this contract,
the winner of the APMI ATK in cooperation with General Dynamics Ordnance
and Tactical Systems on the one hand, and
TDA of France with Raytheon partnered
with Israel Military Industries.
The ATK team solution combines the
companys guidance fuse system already in
use on the XM395 with GD-OTS extendedrange rifled mortar energetic subsystems.
TDA brings its expertise in rifled mortars,
while for the projectile Raytheon adopts a
backward-deploying cruciform wing set

The Elbit Systems/Soltam Cardom selfpropelled recoiling mortar was mentioned

earlier in the context of US Army mortars.
This system has a weight of less than 700
kilograms and can also be armed with an 81
millimetre mortar. It can be traversed full
circle and can fire up to 16 rounds per
minute at a maximum range of 7,000
metres, and can be given a Multiple Round
Simultaneous Impact capability.
In February 2014 Israel Military
Industries announced that its GMM GPS
guided mortar bomb was undergoing
qualification with the Israel Defence Forces.
Fully compatible with existing 120
millimetre mortars, the GMM can be fired to
a range of 7-9 kilometres, depending on the
mortar, with a ten-0 metre CEP at any range.
Guidance is provided by canard wings
mounted in the round body, linking the
Pure Heart GPS/Inertial navigation and
control unit. A semi-active laser-guided
version of this round might also be
developed, with a laser seeker in the nose.

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Another Army going for the 81

millimetre only option is the British Army.
After the Afghanistan campaign the
decision was taken to shelve the commando
and bipod Hirtenberger 60 millimetre
mortars to reduce costs, the ageing L16A2
thus remaining the only mortar to equip
infantry units. Some improvements should
be adopted on the weapon itself, although
new improved performance ammunition
with greater lethality against buildings,
armour and equipment might become
available in the near future.

While keeping its 120 millimetre mortars

in service, Italy is introducing new
81millimetre Expal M-86 or M-98. The 120s
are assigned to regimental level, while 81
millimetre mortars provide company level
indirect fire support, leaving 60 millimetre
mortars for platoon level use. Italy signed a
20 million contract with Expal in late 2011
that includes 371 mortars, an undisclosed
quantity of ammunition in various versions,
and ballistic computers developed by Expace.
An army that is going against the 81
millimetre trend is the Dutch one, which

The Nemo single-barrel turreted

mortar from Patria of Finland pictured
during a firing session. The company
Amos two-barrel version is in service
with Finland and Sweden. (Patria)

The Israel Military Industry Guided Mortar

Munition 120 and its programillimetreing
system. The GMM is currently under
qualification by the IDF (IMI)
I EUROPEAN TRENDS

According to German Army computation

the 81 millimetre calibre is the more
effective when engaging an infantry target;
this comes from two assumptions, that the
more rounds impact on target nearly
simultaneously exploiting surprise increases
the effect, and that a target may effectively
be destroyed in a 20 seconds timeframe.
Considering the effect of a 60 millimetre HE
mortar round, an 81 millimetre has an
effectiveness factor of 2.4 and a 120
millimetre of 7.7. This said, considering the
total mass of rounds, the number of weapon
systems and the mass of the system, the 81
millimetre mortar wins the deal. This is one
of the reasons the Bundeswehr is giving up
the 120 millimetre calibre favouring the 81
millimetre, a procurement programme
being foreseen in the coming years. The 120
millimetre infantry mortars should be used
until 2016. As for the single Wiesel-2 based
mortar fighting system, made of eight
mortar vehicles, two command vehicles and
four Mungo ammunition carrier, this
should be transferred from the infantry to
the artillery in 2015.

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Mortars

The Singaporean Srams seen here was

displayed at Idex in 2017 on board an RG31
as part of the Agrab Mk1 120millimetre
mobile mortar system devised by the Emirati
International Golden Group with Denel.
(Armada/Eric H. Biass)

recently decided to replace its L16s with

lighter 60 millimetre mortars. The tender is
for 75 systems, including ammunition, with
deliveries to start in late 2015.
I LIGHT 120 PLATFORM FROM
SINGAPORE

In 2007 Singapore Technologies obtained a

first export order for its 120 millimetre
smoothbore Super Rapid Advanced Mortar
System (Srams). Deliveries are being carried
out in 2014, though both the number of
systems and the customer remain undisclosed.
Featuring a recoil of only 26 tonnes with
maximum charge, which allied to its weight of
less than 1,200 kilos, it can even be installed on
Humvee-class light vehicles. Equipped with
a semi-automatic ammunition loading

Ruag Defence Bighorn, here

fitted on an FNSS ACV300, has
not yet succeeded in attracting
a launch customer. (FNSS)

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system, the STK mortar can reach a rate of

fire of 10 rounds per minute. With its 1,800
millimetre-long barrel the Srams has a
maximum range of nine kilometres with
extended-range ammunition. The Singapore
Army installed it on the Bronco tracked allterrain vehicle, while a first export order was
obtained in 2007.
Although the United Arab Emirates
International Golden Group (IGG) did not
confirm this, the Srams should have been the
core of the Agreb Mk1 system, a mobile
mortar system based on BAE Systems RG31
chassis. A further order was announced at
IDEX 2011 for 72 Agrab Mk2 systems. The
main difference should be the vehicle, the
new batch of mobile mortars being based on
the RG31 Mk6E MPV while the former was
based on the Mk5 model. The Agrab is fitted
with Denels Land Systems Arachnida fire
control system and with a FIN3110 GPS/INS
navigation system by Selex ES. The first ten
Agrab Mk2 were integrated in South Africa,
the remaining 62 being integrated at IGGs
facilities in the United Arab Emirates.

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