Mortar carriers / self-propelled mortar

[Ayoshi]

M113 series of armored personnel carriers

Why the M113 APC will be around for a long time

https://www.wearethemighty.com/m113-armored-personnel-carrier


Some M113s were modified to carry mortars, like this one with a M120 120mm mortar. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Joshua E. Powell)

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Stryker family of armored vehicles

From: Military-Today

Stryker variants

M1129 Stryker

120-mm mortar carrier

he M1129 mortar carrier is a member of the Stryker family of armored vehicles. It is supports infantry operations in complex terrain and urban environments. First production vehicles entered service with the US Army in 2005. This artillery system is used by Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. Currently the US Army is the only operator of this artillery system.

The M1129 Stryker mortar carrier provides indirect fire support to infantry units. Photo taken from military-today.com

[Ayoshi]

From: Military Today

AMOS

The AMOS or Advanced MOrtar System was developed as a joint venture between Patria (Finland) and Hagglunds (Sweden). Hagglunds is responsible for the turret and Patria for the breech loaded 120 mm mortars. It is a new generation mortar, designed for a rapid rate of fire. Finland ordered a total of 24 of these twin-barrel mortar systems on the Patria AMV chassis. Sweden ordered two AMOS systems on the CV90 chassis.

   The AMOS is a turret with two 120 mm breech loaded mortars. Compared with conventional mortars the AMOS has increased firepower. Its maximum rate of fire is 24 rounds per minute. Vehicle has an automatic ammunition handling system. This artillery system is capable of multiple round simultaneous impact firing. It can fire up to 14 rounds and leave position before the mines hit target simultaneously. This mortar system also has a direct fire capability. Maximum range of direct fire is 1 500 m. The AMOS is compatible with all standard 120 mm mortar ammunition as well as smart guided ammunition, including the Strix precision guided munitions. The Strix was developed by Saab Bofors Dynamics. It has a range of 5 km.

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   The AMOS mortar turret can be mounted on a variety of wheeled or tracked chassis, including CV90 infantry fighting vehicle, or stretched M113 armored personnel carrier. The AMOS was even tested on naval vessels, particularly the Swedish Combat Boat 90.

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Photos taken from military-today.com

[Ayoshi]

See also: Combat Vehicle 90

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First Grkpbv 90 to be soon delivered to Sweden | Army Recognition - 05 February 2019 13:18

The Granatkastarpansarbandvagn 90 (Grkpbv90) is a grenade launcher carrier expected to act as an artillery battalion and is based on combat vehicles 90 (CV90) which are a family of Swedish tracked combat vehicles. These vehicles will be equiped with their own navigation system, the POS2.

Presentation of the 120mm mortar carriers Granatkastaranscarband 90 (GRKPBV 90) for the Swedish army (Picture source : Swedish MoD)

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/86787/idex-2019-new-didgori-models-break-cover

The mortar carrier version displayed at IDEX 2019 was fitted with a 120 mm mortar and is in line for a “significant” contract with the Georgian military, Jane’s was told. That particular system will feature a Soviet-era 120 mm system, in line with the country’s current stock of heavy mortars, and will not feature an on-board fire-control system (FCS). However, an onboard FCS can be fitted to meet customer requirements.

Mounted on a hydraulically operated trolley that folds onto the vehicle’s rear tray for transport, the mortar system can be detached from the trolley in about 20 seconds if the crew needs to re-site the system or replace the tube. The mortar’s supporting bipod is mounted off the trolley, with the base of the trolley providing the necessary support for the mortar as a baseplate and removing the need for any further off-platform supports.

According to the company, the system can achieve a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute, at ranges of 480–7,100 m. The vehicle can carry 24–48 rounds of ammunition, depending on loadout, and can also be equipped with a remote weapons station (RWS) for crew protection if required.

Alternative calibres, primarily 105 mm and 81 mm, can be accommodated on the trolley.

The Didgori Meomari 120 mm mobile mortar system from Georgia’s Delta State Military Scientific-Technical Centre was displayed at IDEX 2019. Source: IHS Markit

[Ayoshi]

IDEX 2019: Eraf displayed its Okruban mobile mortar 120mm on 4x4 pickup truck | Army Recognition - 25 February 2019

The Okruban mobile portar 120mm works on the basis of an automatic deployment and retraction system, with an automatic horizontal and vertical adjustment of the tube controlled via a console associated to a joystick. The storage compartment behind the two-man cab enables the vehicle to carry 32 mortar shells (16 on each side), or 40 in another version. The time for deployment is only 12 seconds, and 10 seconds for retraction. The weight of the system without the mortar tube itself is 370 kg. The traverse guidance angle varies from -90 to +90°. The elevation angle varies from +45 to +85°.

In the case of a 120mm mortar firing with 7 charges (or a maximum range of over 8,000 m). the recoil will be equivalent to a mass of 3.600 kg falling from 5 meters. This is a very large force, and would require a very heavy vehicle, together with a recoil absorber system to manage the huge amount of energy Traditionally, this solution was the one adopted by the industry, until the development of the Alakran by NTGS, a company of the Everis Aerospace and Defense Group. With its new technology, Alakran solves the operational problems of current mortar carriers as overload, vehicle reinforcement, large platforms, overheating, limited firing capabilities, etc.

Eraf "Okruban" mobile mortar 120mm in a 40-round storage version (Picture source: Army Recognition)
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Eraf "Okruban" mobile mortar 120mm in a 32-round storage version (Picture source: ERAF)

[Ayoshi]

Switzerland ready to buy Cobra 120 mm mortar systems | Janes - 02 April 2019

The Swiss Army plans to order 32 RUAG Defence 120 mm Cobra turntable-mounted smoothbore mortar systems that are to be mounted in the rear of new General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS)-MOWAG 8×8 Piranha 3+ armoured vehicle (Piranha 4 in Swiss service).

RUAG Defence is to supply the 120 mm mortar systems to GDELS-MOWAG, who will integrate them into the newbuild Piranha 4 8×8s that have a slightly raised roofline to the rear to accommodate the mortar. That work will be undertaken at the main GDELS-MOWAG facility at Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, where the Piranha family of vehicles is manufactured.

The system is to have a crew of four (driver, commander, and two ammunition loaders), a maximum gross vehicle weight of up to 30 tonnes, and a maximum road speed of 90 km/h.

Standard equipment will consist of a remote weapon station armed with a .50 M2 HB machine gun and banks of electrically operated smoke grenade launchers.

The RUAG Defence Cobra 120 mm smoothbore mortar system integrated into the rear of a GDLS-MOWAG Piranha 3+ 8×8 platform. Source: RUAG Defence

[Ayoshi]

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/mortar-equipped-cv90-sparks-international-interest/

Mortar-equipped CV90 sparks international interest
6th June 2019 - 09:30 GMT

Sweden's FMV recently showed off the new CV90 Mortar vehicle (designated the Grkpbv 90) to an audience of representatives from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland and the US.

The demonstration of the new mortar vehicle’s capabilities was carried out on an FMV test site in Karlsborg. With a grenade launcher mounted on the CV90 chassis, the Grkpbv 90 is a response by BAE SystemsHägglunds to a 575 million kr ($68 million) contract from FMV to install a vehicle-mounted mortar on the Swedish Army’s CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) in December 2016.

The mortar system chosen for the contract was the Mjölner, which has been installed on 40 CV90s to date. The Mjölner consists of two smoothbore 120mm gun barrels capable of 60 degrees of slew in azimuth and elevation from 45 to 85 degrees. It can fire up to 16 rounds per minute, and is compatible with all standard 120mm mortar ammunition.

Mjölner mortar system (source: BAE Systems). Photo taken from armyrecognition.com

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/89551/south-korea-completes-development-of-120-mm-self-propelled-mortar-system

South Korea completes development of 120 mm self-propelled mortar system
27 June 2019

Developed for the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) by several South Korean companies, including Hanwha Defense and S&T Dynamics, for KRW 41.3 billion (USD35.7 million), the integrated mortar system, which can rotate 360°, is stated to have a strike range 2.3 times that of the ageing M30 107 mm rifled mortar it is expected to replace.

The DAPA also revealed that new weapon is equipped with an automated fire control and reloading system. South Korea is also using an M113 variant as a command vehicle for the new system.

A screengrab taken from a DAPA video showing South Korea's recently developed 120 mm mortar system integrated into an M113 tracked APC. Source: DAPA

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/95901/poland-to-order-more-rak-self-propelled-mortars-and-grot-rifles

Poland to order more Rak self-propelled mortars and Grot rifles
01 May 2020

The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) at the end of April announced three major contracts to be signed soon. Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak revealed on Twitter on 24 April that one of these would be for the acquisition of a third batch of Rak 120 mm self-propelled mortars (SPMs). Poland's Armament Inspectorate announced on the EU's Tender Electronic Daily on 27 April that negotiations with a consortium between Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) and Rosomak had begun on 3 April. The estimated contract value is PLN680.4 million (USD162.3 million). The SPMs are expected to be delivered to the 18th Mechanised Division in 2020-26.

Poland is ordering a third batch of Rak 120 mm SPMs. Source: HSW

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/south-korea-to-begin-series-production-of-locally-developed-120-mm-self-propelled-mortar-system

09 September 2020
South Korea to begin series production of locally developed 120 mm self-propelled mortar system

South Korea will begin series production of a locally developed 120 mm self-propelled mortar system that has been integrated into an M113-type tracked armoured personnel carrier (APC).

The country’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) announced in a 9 September statement that the Defense Project Promotion Committee has decided to award in the fourth quarter of 2020 a five-year KRW770 billion (USD648.5 million) contract for the mass production of the systems, the first units of which are expected to enter service with the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) from next year.

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Developed by several South Korean companies, including Hanwha Defense and S&T Dynamics, for KRW41.3 billion, the integrated mortar system, which can rotate 360°, is stated to have a strike range greater than that of the ageing M30 107 mm rifled mortar it is expected to replace.

South Korea has decided to mass-produce a newly developed 120-mm self-propelled mortar system under a five-year KRW770 billion (USD648.5 million) contract set to be awarded later this year. (Hanwha Defense)