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68-486: The MO-120 RT (factory designator) or MO-120-RT is a French heavy mortar . The RT in the designator stands for rayé, tracté , which means rifled, towed. The MO-120-RT is currently used by the French Army (where it is known as RT F1 or Mortier de 120 mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1 —"120 mm rifled towed mortar, model F1"), and has also been exported to more than 24 foreign countries or in some cases, produced under licence. It

136-655: A lanyard or trigger mechanism . Ammunition for mortars generally comes in two main varieties: fin-stabilised and spin-stabilised. Examples of the former have short fins on their posterior portion, which control the path of the bomb in flight. Spin-stabilised mortar bombs rotate as they travel along and leave the mortar tube, which stabilises them in much the same way as a rifle bullet. Both types of rounds can be either illumination ( infrared or visible illumination), smoke , high explosive , and training rounds. Mortar bombs are often referred to, incorrectly, as "mortars". Operators may fire spin-stabilised rounds from either

204-484: A GPS-guided kit fitted to standard 120 mm smoothbore mortar rounds that includes the fitting of a nose and tail subsystem containing the maneuvering parts. The Strix mortar round is a Swedish endphase-guided projectile fired from a 120 mm mortar currently manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics . STRIX is fired like a conventional mortar round. The round contains an infrared imaging sensor that it uses to guide itself onto any tank or armoured fighting vehicle in

272-425: A higher payload in a thinner skin than rifled artillery ammunition. Because of the difference in available volume, a smooth-bore mortar of a given diameter will have a greater explosive yield than a similarly sized artillery shell of a gun or howitzer. For example, a 120 mm mortar bomb has approximately the same explosive capability as a 152 mm/155 mm artillery shell. Also, fin-stabilised munitions fired from

340-554: A mortar, either outside or inside of the cabin. The Israeli Merkava tank uses a 60 mm (2.4 in) mortar as a secondary armament. The Russian army uses the 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled 240 mm (9.4 in) heavy mortar which is one of the largest mortars in current use. Gun-mortars are breech-loaded mortars usually equipped with a hydraulic recoil mechanism , and sometimes equipped with an autoloader . They are usually mounted on an armoured vehicle and are capable of both direct fire and indirect fire . The archetypes are

408-445: A near vertical descent, the mortar can land bombs on nearby targets, including those behind obstacles or in fortifications , such as light vehicles behind hills or structures, or infantry in trenches or spider holes . This also makes it possible to launch attacks from positions lower than the target of the attack. (For example, long-range artillery could not shell a target 1 km (0.62 mi) away and 30 m (98 ft) higher,

476-461: A new and shorter line (the Hindenburg Line) of defensive fortifications along a high ridge using reverse slope techniques, with massive artillery gun placements protected to the rear by the topography of the ridge, followed by a strategic retreat from their existing tattered front to positions behind the new line. After the capture of Carentan by American paratroopers, German forces (elements of

544-473: A niche in, for example, providing a multi-role anti-personnel, anti-armour capability in light mobile formations. Such systems, like the Soviet 120 mm 2S9 Nona , are mostly self-propelled (although a towed variant exists). The AMOS (Advanced Mortar System) is an example of an even more advanced gun mortar system. It uses a 120 mm automatic twin-barrelled, breech-loaded mortar turret, which can be mounted on

612-433: A reverse-slope defence along its entire front, as positioning troops on the forward slope is necessary to control the region in front of the hill. However, when enemy forces are known to have superior long-range direct-fire or indirect-fire weapons, the majority of the defending force can use the hill to limit enemy observation and reduce the effectiveness of the long-range enemy fire. This tactic may even succeed in deceiving

680-557: A short-barrelled rifled muzzle-loading mortar called the Minenwerfer . Heavily used during World War I , they were made in three sizes: 7.58 cm (2.98 in), 17 cm (6.7 in), and 25 cm (9.8 in). It was not until the Stokes mortar was devised by Sir Wilfred Stokes in 1915 during the First World War that the modern mortar transportable by one person was born. In

748-550: A similar calibre – all characteristics of infantry mortars. This produces a hybrid weapon capable of engaging area targets with indirect high-angle fire, and also specific targets such as vehicles and bunkers with direct fire. Such hybrids are much heavier and more complicated than infantry mortars, superior to rocket-propelled grenades in the anti-armour and bunker-busting role, but have a reduced range compared to modern gun- howitzers and inferior anti-tank capability compared to modern anti-tank guided weapons . However, they do have

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816-420: A smooth-bore, which do not rely on the spin imparted by a rifled bore for greater accuracy, do not have the drawback of veering in the direction of the spin. From the 17th to the mid-20th century, very heavy, relatively immobile siege mortars were used, of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) calibre, often made of cast iron and with an outside barrel diameter many times that of the bore diameter. An early example

884-428: A smoothbore metal tube fixed to a base plate (to absorb recoil) with a lightweight bipod mount. When a mortar bomb was dropped into the tube, an impact sensitive primer in the base of the bomb would make contact with a firing pin at the base of the tube and detonate, firing the bomb towards the target. The Stokes mortar could fire as many as 25 bombs per minute and had a maximum range of 800 yd (730 m), firing

952-420: A smoothbore or a rifled barrel. Rifled mortars are more accurate but slower to load. Since mortars are generally muzzle-loaded, mortar bombs for rifled barrels usually have a pre-engraved band, called an obturator, that engages with the rifling of the barrel. Exceptions to this are the U.S. M2 4.2-inch mortar and M30 mortar , whose ammunition has a sub-calibre expandable ring that enlarged when fired. This allows

1020-666: A steel frame. These weapons may fire standard mortar rounds, purpose-made shells, repurposed gas cylinders filled with explosives and shrapnel, or any other type of improvised explosive, incendiary or chemical munitions. These were called " barrack busters " by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) . Improvised mortars used by insurgents in the Syrian civil war are known as hell cannons . Observers have noted that they are "wildly inaccurate" and responsible for hundreds of civilian deaths. Improvised mortars used in

1088-487: A target easily accessible to a mortar.) In trench warfare , mortars can use plunging fire directly into the enemy trenches , which is very hard or impossible to accomplish with long range artillery because of its much flatter trajectory. Mortars are also highly effective when used from concealed positions, such as the natural escarpments on hillsides or from woods, especially if forward observers are being employed in strategic positions to direct fire, an arrangement where

1156-509: A unit can last longer without needing resupply. The PERM was to begin fielding in 2018. Raytheon planned to add semi-active laser (SAL) guidance to PERM rounds to enable them to hit moving targets. By December 2017, the U.S. Marines had divested the EFSS. With the Marines working to extend the range of their artillery arsenal, the EFSS' limited range was not seen as well suited for future missions, so it

1224-400: A variety of armoured vehicles and attack boats. A modern example of a gun-mortar is the 2B9 Vasilek . A spigot mortar consists mainly of a solid rod or spigot , onto which a hollow tube in the projectile fits—inverting the normal tube-mortar arrangement. At the top of the tube in the projectile, a cavity contains propellant , such as cordite . There is usually a trigger mechanism built into

1292-642: Is 70 kg (150 lb) and it is filled with TNT. It had a range of 15 to 25 km (9.3 to 15.5 mi). The rocket has since then undergone some modifications. The Pasilan 2000 was more lethal than Baba mortar. But it was not heavily used for ground attacks during the Eelam War IV . Most modern mortar systems consist of four main components: a barrel, a base plate, a bipod and a sight. Modern mortars normally range in calibre from 60 mm (2.36 in) to 120 mm (4.72 in). However, both larger and smaller mortars have been produced. The modern mortar

1360-419: Is a military tactic where a defending force is positioned on the slope of an elevated terrain feature such as a hill, ridge, or mountain, on the side opposite from the attacking force. This tactic both hinders the attacker's ability to observe the defender's positions and reduces the effectiveness of the attacker's long-range weapons such as tanks and artillery . A defending unit usually does not conduct

1428-429: Is a muzzle-loaded weapon and relatively simple to operate. It consists of a barrel into which the gunners drop a mortar round. When the round reaches the base of the barrel it hits a fixed firing pin that fires the round. The barrel is generally set at an angle of between 45 and 85 degrees (800 to 1500 mils), with the higher angle producing a shorter horizontal trajectory. Some mortars have a moving firing pin, operated by

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1496-515: Is a vehicle-mounted and automated mortar system derived from the MO-120 RT. The United States Marine Corps began looking for an expeditionary fire support system (EFSS) in 2001 after the start of operations in Afghanistan exposed their lack of expeditionary artillery lighter than a 155 mm howitzer but heavier than a 60 mm mortar. Early on, the 120 RT weapon became tied to the development of

1564-523: Is issued to artillery units, where it complements artillery guns and systems; although infantry units operate it in some countries. A vehicle-mounted and automated mortar system derived from the MO-120 RT, known as the 2R2M is in service with a number of nations. The MO-120 RT uses 120 mm rounds with a range of 8.2 km (5.1 mi) and the PRPA (RAP-Rocket Assisted Projectile) with a range of 13 km (8.1 mi). The weapon can be fired either by dropping

1632-543: Is made up of roughly 50 marines. From 2011 to 2015, the Marines and Raytheon developed the precision extended range munition (PERM) for the EFSS, a GPS -guided round that delivers greater range and better accuracy. The 35 lb (16 kg) round increased range from 8 km (5.0 mi) to 16 km (9.9 mi), falling within 10 m (33 ft) of the target and as close as two meters, costing $ 18,000 each, and having 2.5–3 times more lethality. The extra range came from tail fins for stabilization and canards near

1700-522: Is normally towed by the VTM 120 ( Véhicule Tracteur Mortier de 120 mm ), a wheeled armored vehicle that is a derivative of the VAB 4×4 series of armored personnel carrier. Towing is accomplished by a towing hitch that is screwed onto the muzzle of the weapon. The VTM 120 also carries 70 rounds for the mortar and offers basic ballistic protection from small arms fire and shrapnel for the crew. The RT-61 can also be towed by

1768-589: The 1456 siege of Belgrade by Giovanni da Tagliacozzo states that the Ottoman Turks used seven mortars that fired "stone shots one Italian mile high". The time of flight of these was apparently long enough that casualties could be avoided by posting observers to give warning of their trajectories. Early mortars, such as the Pumhart von Steyr , were large and heavy and could not be easily transported. Simply made, these weapons were no more than iron bowls reminiscent of

1836-544: The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division and 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment) counterattacked in an attempt to recapture this strategically vital town on 13 June 1944. Elements of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division (502nd and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments (PIR)) met the enemy advance southwest of Carentan at the Battle of Bloody Gulch . The terrain offered the Americans the opportunity of a reverse slope defence, and three companies of

1904-459: The 81 mm L16 mortar . The XM395 Precision Guided Mortar Munition (PGMM) is a 120 mm guided mortar round developed by Alliant Techsystems . Based on Orbital ATK's Precision Guidance Kit for 155 mm artillery projectiles, XM395 combines GPS guidance and directional control surfaces into a package that replaces standard fuses, transforming existing 120 mm mortar bodies into precision-guided munitions. The XM395 munition consists of

1972-515: The American Civil War included Stonewall Jackson 's defense of Henry House Hill during the First Battle of Bull Run (also known as Manassas) (1861), where he ordered his soldiers to lie down below the crest of the hill in order to avoid Union artillery, and Winfield Scott Hancock 's counter-attack against Jubal Early at the Battle of Williamsburg (1862). The Battle of Gettysburg (1863)

2040-524: The Brandt Mle CM60A1 and Brandt 60 mm LR , which combine features of modern infantry mortars together with those of modern cannon. Such weapons are most commonly smoothbore, firing fin-stabilised rounds, using relatively small propellant charges in comparison to projectile weight. While some have been fitted with rifled barrels, such as the 2S31 Vena and 2S9 Nona . They have short barrels in comparison to guns and are much more lightly built than guns of

2108-519: The M3 half-track and M113 armored personnel carrier , to vehicles specifically intended to carry a mortar. Simpler vehicles carry a standard infantry mortar while in more complex vehicles the mortar is fully integrated into the vehicle and cannot be dismounted from the vehicle. Mortar carriers cannot be fired while on the move, and some must be dismounted to fire. There are numerous armoured fighting vehicles and even main battle tanks that can be equipped with

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2176-547: The MV-22 Osprey , which would contain a Growler ITV jeep that would tow it; both efforts were troubled and experienced delays. The EFSS was first used operationally in Afghanistan in February 2011, firing an M1105 illumination projectile. The full EFSS was introduced in 2009, consisting of two light vehicles, one towing the mortar and the other an ammunition trailer, that fit inside an MV-22 or CH-53E Super Stallion ; an EFSS battery

2244-472: The Napoleonic Wars to defeat French infantry, such as at the Battle of Waterloo . By placing a ridge between his own army and his opponent's, and having his troops lie down, Wellington was able both to better protect his troops from French artillery fire and to strike the attacking French infantry by having his troops stand up at the last moment and deliver volleys of musketry at close range. At Waterloo,

2312-705: The Napoleonic era , although Manby Mortars were widely used on the coast to launch lines to ships in distress, and interest in their use as a weapon was not revived until the beginning of the 20th century. Mortars were heavily used by both sides during the American Civil War . At the Siege of Vicksburg , General Ulysses S. Grant reported making mortars "by taking logs of the toughest wood that could be found, boring them out for 6 or 12 lb (2.7 or 5.4 kg) shells and binding them with strong iron bands. These answered as Coehorns , and shells were successfully thrown from them into

2380-547: The Sri Lankan civil war by the rebel Tamil Tigers are known as "Pasilan 2000", also known as a "rocket mortar" or "Arti-mortar" like the 122 mm (4.8 in) cannon, successor to the Baba mortar used by the LTTE for ground operations since the 1980s. As Baba mortar rounds contained tar, they caused a fire when they hit the ground. The Baba, the prototype mortar, was crude. But with time

2448-512: The wan'gu dates back to 1407. Ch'oe Hae-san (1380–1443), the son of Ch'oe Mu-sŏn (1325–1395), is generally credited with inventing the wan'gu . In the Ming dynasty , general Qi Jiguang recorded the use of a mini cannon called the hu dun pao that was similar to the mortar. The first use in siege warfare was at the 1453 siege of Constantinople by Mehmed the Conqueror . An Italian account of

2516-547: The " Little David " ((36 in (910 mm)) developed in the United States for use in World War II. Although the latter two had a calibre of 36 in (910 mm), only the "Monster Mortar" was used in combat (at the Battle of Antwerp in 1832). The World War II German Karl-Gerät was a 60 cm (24 in) mortar and the largest to see combat in modern warfare. Reverse slope defence A reverse slope defence

2584-553: The "HB Rayé". In Turkey , a variant was derived and manufactured by MKEK as the HY 12 mortar. It is towed by a Unimog light truck, carrying a crew of 6 with 60 mortar rounds. MKEK produces the "Mod 209 High-Explosive (HE) bomb" ammunition for this. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force operate the MO-120-RT both in the towed configuration as well as mounted in a vehicle, the Type 96 . The 2R2M

2652-461: The 506th PIR lined up along the hedgerows at the bottom of Hill 30. The American troops were outnumbered and being hit with tank and assault gun fire, but the reverse incline enabled them to direct all their firepower at the Germans as they appeared over the top of the hill. Although they were almost overrun, their position gave them enough of an advantage to hold their ground until they were relieved by

2720-616: The AMX-10 TM ( Tracteur de Mortier ), which is a version of the AMX-10P tracked APC or the future French Scorpion SERVAL Vehicle. In France, the mortars which originally equipped infantry regiments, have now all been transferred to the artillery regiments, where they augment the 155 mm towed artillery. The manufacturer is Thales, with former company names TDA Armements, Thomson-Brandt, as mentioned above, Thomson-CSF/Daimler Benz Aerospace (France/Germany), and Hotchkiss Brandt (The Netherlands) as

2788-582: The Stokes mortar as the Brandt Mle 27 , further refined as the Brandt Mle 31 ; this design was widely copied with and without license. These weapons were the prototypes for all subsequent light mortar developments around the world. Mortar carriers are vehicles which carry a mortar as a primary weapon. Numerous vehicles have been used to mount mortars, from improvised civilian trucks used by insurgents , to modified infantry fighting vehicles , such as variants of

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2856-552: The Trench Warfare Supply Department (who reported to Lloyd George) to expedite manufacture of the Stokes mortar. The weapon proved to be extremely useful in the muddy trenches of the Western Front , as a mortar round could be aimed to fall directly into trenches , where artillery shells, because of their low angle of flight, could not possibly go. The Stokes mortar was a simple muzzle-loaded weapon, consisting of

2924-472: The Western Front had settled into a war of attrition fought from established trenches . Patches of territory were won or lost only at great cost. Years of attrition had left both sides stretched thin in manpower and materiel along the front. Germany recognised this problem early and devised Operation Alberich as an answer to it. Operation Alberich involved the construction, through the late winter of 1917, of

2992-419: The base of the spigot, with a long firing pin running up the length of the spigot activating a primer inside the projectile and firing the propellant charge. The advantage of a spigot mortar is that the firing unit (baseplate and spigot) is smaller and lighter than a conventional tube mortar of equivalent payload and range. It is also somewhat simpler to manufacture. Further, most spigot mortars have no barrel in

3060-467: The conditions of trench warfare , there was a great need for a versatile and easily portable weapon that could be manned by troops under cover in the trenches. Stokes' design was initially rejected in June 1915 because it was unable to use existing stocks of British mortar ammunition, and it took the intervention of David Lloyd George (at that time Minister of Munitions ) and Lieutenant Colonel J. C. Matheson of

3128-408: The conventional sense, which means ammunition of almost any weight and diameter can be fired from the same mortar. The disadvantage is that while most mortar bombs have a streamlined shape towards the back that fits a spigot mortar application well, using that space for the spigot mortar tube takes volume and mass away from the payload of the projectile. If a soldier is carrying only a few projectiles,

3196-682: The course of this campaign an ammunition depot in the Parthenon was blown up. An early use of these more mobile mortars as field artillery (rather than siege artillery ) was by British forces in the suppression of the Jacobite rising of 1719 at the Battle of Glen Shiel . High angle trajectory mortars held a great advantage over standard field guns in the rough terrain of the West Highlands of Scotland. The mortar had fallen out of general use in Europe by

3264-407: The enemy as to the true location and organisation of the main defensive positions. Typically, a smaller unit is still posted on the forward slope to perform observation and delay attackers if the defending force needs to relocate its main body onto the forward slope. Otherwise, when the attacker advances and passes over the top of the hill, they may be ambushed by short-range fire from the defender on

3332-575: The fire. The way the tube is installed is similar to the positioning of rocket pods. The length and calibre of the barrel indicate Pasilan 2000 system has common features to the Chinese made Type 82 130 mm (5.1 in) 30-tube MLRS (introduced by the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA) in the early 1980s) rather than rail-guided Katyusha variants such as the Qassam Rocket. The warhead weight

3400-482: The kitchen and apothecary mortars whence they drew their name. An early transportable mortar was invented by Baron Menno van Coehoorn in 1701. This mortar fired an exploding shell, which had a fuse that was lit by the hot gases when fired. The Coehorn mortar gained quick popularity, necessitating a new form of naval ship, the bomb vessel . Mortars played a significant role in the Venetian conquest of Morea , and in

3468-579: The last major military engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, Wellington utilized this tactic to drive away a last minute infantry attack by the French in a final attempt to gain victory by Napoleon. The French infantry had climbed a ridge only to find it seemingly abandoned and covered with bodies. Suddenly, 1,500 British Foot Guards under Maitland who had been lying down under the ridge rose and unleashed upon them close range, point-blank volleys, killing 300 with

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3536-489: The mortar is in relatively close proximity both to its forward observer and its target, allowing for fire to be quickly and accurately delivered with lethal effect. Mortars suffer from instability when used on snow or soft ground, because the recoil pushes them into the ground or snow unevenly. A Raschen bag addresses this problem. Fin-stabilised mortar bombs do not have to withstand the rotational forces placed upon them by rifling or greater pressures, and can therefore carry

3604-524: The nose to make in-flight adjustments and make it glide as it descends, and the greater lethality was a result of this flight path; normal artillery rounds impact at a 45-degree angle, which blows the top half of the round straight up into the air, but descending at a sharp angle places more energy and fragmentation directly on a target. It was even capable of hitting reverse slope positions by shaping its trajectory. Greater accuracy also reduces logistical burdens, as using fewer rounds to destroy one target means

3672-442: The original cylindrical unstabilised projectile. A modified version of the mortar, which fired a modern fin-stabilised streamlined projectile and had a booster charge for longer range, was developed after World War I; this was in effect a new weapon. By World War II, it could fire as many as 30 bombs per minute and had a range of over 2,500 yd (2,300 m) with some shell types. The French developed an improved version of

3740-471: The projectile to slide down the barrel freely but grip the rifling when fired. The system resembles the Minié ball for muzzle-loading rifles. For extra range, propellant rings (augmentation charges) are attached to the bomb's fins. The rings are usually easy to remove, because they have a major influence on the speed and thus the range of the bomb. Some mortar rounds can be fired without any augmentation charges, e.g.,

3808-410: The projectile weight disadvantage is not significant. However, the weight of a large quantity of the heavier and more complex spigot projectiles offsets the weight saved. A near-silent mortar can operate using the spigot principle. Each round has a close-fitting sliding plug in the tube that fits over the spigot. When the round is fired, the projectile is pushed off the spigot, but before the plug clears

3876-497: The reverse slope and perhaps on the counterslope (the forward slope of a hill facing the reverse slope). Combat vehicles are vulnerable when cresting hills, because their thin belly armour may be exposed to troops on the reverse slope and because their weapons may lack the depression angle to effectively engage an enemy located below the vehicle. The best-known proponent of the tactic was the Duke of Wellington , who used it repeatedly during

3944-475: The round down the tube (after aligning of the rifling bands) resulting in an automatic firing once the bomb hits the tube base, or by a controlled firing by dropping the bomb down the tube and pulling on a lanyard that will in turn set off the triggering mechanism in the base of the tube. Fired mortar rounds can reach as high as 4,000 m (13,000 ft) and hit the ground with an effective kill radius of 76 m (249 ft). In French service, this weapon

4012-565: The spigot it is caught by a constriction at the base of the tube. This traps the gases from the propelling charge and hence the sound of the firing. After World War II the Belgium Fly-K silent spigot mortar was accepted into French service as the TN-8111. Spigot mortars generally fell out of favour after World War II and were replaced by smaller conventional mortars. Military applications of spigot mortars include: Non-military applications include

4080-634: The trenches of the enemy". During the Russo-Japanese War , Lieutenant General Leonid Gobyato of the Imperial Russian Army applied the principles of indirect fire from closed firing positions in the field; and with the collaboration of General Roman Kondratenko , he designed the first mortar that fired navy shells. The German Army studied the Siege of Port Arthur , where heavy artillery had been unable to destroy defensive structures like barbed wire and bunkers. Consequently they developed

4148-486: The use of small-calibre spigot mortars to launch lightweight, low-velocity foam dummy targets used for training retriever dogs for bird hunting. Simple launchers use a separate small primer cap as the sole propellant (similar or identical to the cartridges used in industrial nail guns ). Insurgent groups often use improvised, or "homemade" mortars to attack fortified military installations or terrorise civilians. They are usually constructed from heavy steel piping mounted on

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4216-453: The very first volley alone, resulting in the decimation of a large part of Napoleon's elite infantry reserve, the hitherto undefeated Imperial Guard , followed by a British charge which resulted in the retreat and collapse of the French lines, turning the tide of the Battle into a decisive Anglo-Prussian victory and marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Examples of reverse slope defense during

4284-435: The vicinity where it lands. The seeker is designed to ignore targets that are already burning. Launched from any 120 mm mortar, STRIX has a normal range of up to 4.5 km (2.8 mi). The addition of a special sustainer motor increases the range to 7.5 km (4.7 mi). The GMM 120 ( Guided Mortar Munition 120 ; known as Patzmi ; also referred to as Morty ) is a GPS and/or laser -guided mortar munition, which

4352-439: The weapon has improved. The Pasilan 2000, the improved version, has been developed with characteristics similar to a rocket launcher. The Pasilan 2000 was a heavy mortar fired from a mobile launcher mounted on a tractor. The shell does not emit constant muzzle flares like artillery or MBRL. This is ideal for LTTE's camouflage and conceals attacking style. Once a round is fired, forward observers/spies/civilian spotters can correct

4420-532: Was Roaring Meg , with a 15.5 in (390 mm) barrel diameter and firing a 220 lb (100 kg) hollow ball filled with gunpowder and used during the English Civil War in 1646. The largest mortars ever developed were the Belgian " Monster Mortar " (24 in (610 mm)) developed by Henri-Joseph Paixhans in 1832, Mallet's Mortar (36 in (910 mm)) developed by Robert Mallet in 1857, and

4488-527: Was another example, especially the Union defense against Pickett's Charge , which was greatly aided by the reverse slope of Cemetery Ridge that both protected and hid infantry and large numbers of cannons that could not be easily seen by the attackers. Germany employed the reverse slope defence on the Hindenburg Line on the Western Front during the latter part of World War I . The belligerents on both sides on

4556-533: Was chosen for divestment in favor of moving more resources for precision fires. The role was later filled in 2021 by the Hero-120 loitering munition launched from various vehicles. Mortar (weapon) Mortars have been used for hundreds of years. The earliest reported use of mortars was in Korea in a 1413 naval battle when Korean gunsmiths developed the wan'gu (gourd-shaped mortar) (완구, 碗口). The earliest version of

4624-721: Was developed by Israel Military Industries . Another Israeli guided mortar is Iron Sting , developed by Elbit . The Russian KM-8 Gran is also laser-guided. Modern mortars and their ammunition are generally much smaller and lighter than long range artillery , such as field guns and howitzers , which allows light (60 mm (2.4 in)) and medium (81 mm (3.2 in)/82 mm (3.2 in)) mortars to be considered light weapons; i.e. capable of transport by personnel without vehicle assistance. Mortars are short-range weapons and often more effective than long range artillery for many purposes within their shorter range. In particular, because of its high, parabolic trajectory with

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