120 mm mortar

120 mm mortar
Name	120 mm mortar
Type	Heavy mortar
Cartridge	120 mm mortar round
Caliber	120 mm

120 mm mortar is a heavy indirect-fire weapon used for high-angle bombardment and close fire support. It occupies a role between light mortars and artillery, providing expeditionary units with portable, high-explosive, illumination, and smoke firepower. The system has seen service with infantry, airborne, armored, and special forces across numerous conflicts and institutions.

Design and Specifications

A typical design comprises a smoothbore barrel, baseplate, and bipod or tripod assembly, enabling high-angle trajectories for plunging fire. Components are engineered for ruggedness and portability to suit operations of British Army, French Army, United States Army, Russian Ground Forces, and People's Liberation Army units. Barrel length, chamber volume, and propellant charges determine muzzle velocity and maximum range, factors considered by designers from Royal Ordnance Factory engineers to teams at Rheinmetall and Norinco. Sights and fire-control gear may include optical quadrant sights, panoramic sights, and modern digital ballistic computers developed by firms such as Lockheed Martin, Thales Group, and Leonardo S.p.A.. Materials technology—heat-treated steel, alloys used by BAE Systems, and corrosion-resistant coatings from ArcelorMittal supply chains—affect durability and service life. Logistics considerations incorporate NATO-standardization efforts from NATO committees and ordnance bureaus like United States Army Ordnance Corps.

Variants and Models

Multiple national and company variants exist, reflecting doctrinal preferences in Israeli Defense Forces, German Bundeswehr, Turkish Land Forces, and Italian Army. Examples include towed, vehicle-mounted, and lightweight commando models developed by MKEK, Elbit Systems, Patria, and Hellenic Defence Systems. Some models integrate recoil systems and hydraulic dampers influenced by research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Delft University of Technology, while experimental guided mortars trace programs linked to DARPA and research funded by the European Defence Agency. Licensed production arrangements between South African Defence Industry firms and Asian manufacturers expanded offerings for African Union peacekeeping contingents and export customers.

Ammunition Types

Ammunition includes high-explosive, smoke, illumination, white phosphorus, practice, and precision-guided rounds produced by manufacturers such as Nammo, Thales Group, and Rheinmetall factories. Specialized munitions—rocket-assisted projectiles, base-bleed shells, and guided munitions—were developed in programs involving Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and cooperative research with institutions like Imperial College London. Chemical and biological rounds are prohibited under treaties negotiated at conferences including the Geneva Protocol and conventions administered by the United Nations; ammunition design therefore adheres to international law and export controls overseen by bodies such as the Arms Control Association.

Operational Use and Tactics

Tactical employment emphasizes suppression, interdiction, and counter-battery shoots to shape battlefields in operations documented in campaigns like the Gulf War, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and Syrian Civil War. Doctrine from organizations such as NATO and manuals from the United States Marine Corps prescribe fire missions, fire adjustment, and integration with forward observers from units including Royal Marines and Spetsnaz detachments. Mortar teams coordinate with artillery via liaison officers and with aviation assets like AH-64 Apache and Mil Mi-24 helicopters in joint fires. Night operations exploit illumination rounds and coordination with intelligence from Signal Intelligence and Unmanned aerial vehicle reconnaissance, including systems produced by General Atomics.

Deployment and Platforms

Platforms range from dismounted crews and light vehicles such as the Land Rover and UAZ-469 to armored carriers including variants of the Stryker, M113, and BMP-3. Shipboard installations have been adapted for coastal patrol craft and frigates employed by navies like the Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, and People's Liberation Army Navy for littoral fire support. Air transportability for airborne brigades involves helicopters like the CH-47 Chinook and fixed-wing transport aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules and Il-76.

History and Development

The heavy mortar concept evolved from trench warfare innovations of World War I and interwar experiments by arsenals in France, Germany, and United Kingdom. Significant development accelerated during World War II with widespread adoption by the Soviet Union and later standardization in Cold War planning among Warsaw Pact and NATO forces. Post-Cold War modernization programs reflect lessons from operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo War, and desert campaigns, with industry collaboration among corporations like BAE Systems, Finmeccanica, and Thales Group shaping digital fire-control and munitions.

Operators and Global Service

The weapon is fielded by dozens of national forces, from major militaries such as United States Army and Russian Ground Forces to regional services including Pakistan Army, Egyptian Army, Indonesian National Armed Forces, and members of the African Union. It is common in coalition inventories for peacekeeping under United Nations mandates and in export sales negotiated through state agencies like U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency and Rosoboronexport. Operational histories include deployments across theaters in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Category:Mortars