M120 (mortar)

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M120 (mortar)


US soldiers fire an M120

General Information
Military designation: M120
Manufacturer designation: SOLTAM 120 mm mortar
Manufacturer country: Israel
Developer / Manufacturer: Soltam Systems , Elbit Systems (Israel)
Production time: 1991 until today
Model variants: Tampella / R
Weapon Category: heavy mortar
Team: 5
Technical specifications
Pipe length: 1726 mm
Caliber :

120 mm

Cadence : up to 15 rounds / min
Elevation range: up to 1420 line angular degrees
Furnishing
Charging principle: Muzzle loader

The M120 is a heavy mortar developed in Israel that is used by the United States Army and the German Armed Forces . He is z. B. Also used by the armed forces of Egypt , Morocco and Taiwan . The manufacturing company Soltam was taken over by Elbit-Systems in 2010.

history

The mortar was developed as Soltam K6 by the Israeli company Soltam Systems and introduced into the United States Army in 1991 as M120 . The mortars made movable on the M113 chassis ( M1064 ) or the Stryker Armored Vehicle ( M1129 ) are referred to as M121 .

technology

The M120 mortar is available in two different versions:

  • the M120 Tampella
  • and the M120 "R".

Both modifications basically consist of the same components:

Use by the Bundeswehr

The M120 is used by the German armed forces for fire support. The mortar is particularly notable for its minimal firing range of 200 m, which means that it can be used very close to combat areas . The mortar can also be used as a gun on a Wolf gl or on the M113 120 mm tank mortar .

Mortar ammunition

Mortar cartridges of the M120 with four partial charge rings, from left to right, fog, proximity fuse, explosive cartridge

The 120 mm mortar is able to fire the following ammunition (Each cartridge, apart from the explosive cartridge with proximity fuse (AZ), has a so-called locking pin Both must be removed before locking):

  • HE ammunition (explosive cartridge) with impact fuse; is used to combat soft targets and fortifications. The deadly fragment radius is about 50 m. The detonator of the HE mortar shell can be used both with and without delay. Fortifications are shaken and collapsed with the help of the adjustable delay of the ignition.
  • HE ammunition with proximity fuse; is used to combat entrenched infantry forces. The explosion takes place several meters above the ground, creating a scattering cone that penetrates trenches from above. In the case of a fire command, explosive and proximity fuses are usually fired in direct alternation.
  • Flare ammunition; has a lighting radius of one kilometer and can be used specifically to start fires. The use of light sources has decreased because of the use of night vision devices and the risk of one's own discovery.
  • Smoke ammunition; is usually not used because IR night vision devices are not disturbed by the fog and the fog is carcinogenic. In the meantime, however, there is an improved variant of the fog, which is neither harmful to health nor IR-permeable.
  • Practice ammunition (blue) with impact fuse. Instead of the explosive device, there is plaster of paris in the cartridge.
  • Practice cartridge 22 mm sub-caliber. This is fired with the training shooting device (replica of a 120 mm bullet with an inserted 22 mm barrel (lower caliber barrel)) and is used for shooting training. The firing range of the 22 mm practice cartridge is about a tenth of the firing range of 120 mm bullets and therefore enables practice shooting on small practice areas. Various DM18-DM88 projectiles were used in the Bundeswehr.

An overview of ammunition can be found in the list of Bundeswehr ammunition

Image display

  • Bundeswehr 120 mm mortar ammunition

  • Bundeswehr 120 mm mortar ammunition

  • Training shooting device 22 mm for mortar 120 mm

  • Practice cartridge 22 mm sub-caliber

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c M120 120mm Mortar , description and technical data ( Memento from September 1, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) at globalsecurity.org
  2. ↑ a b M120 120mm Mortar , operating instructions ( Memento from September 1, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) at globalsecurity.org
  3. ↑ ELBIT SYSTEMS LAND AND C4 M120 120mm Mortar , description and technical data ( Memento from September 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Manufacturer information (PDF, 234 kB)
  4. ↑ ELBIT SYSTEMS Mortars Systems , model overview ( Memento from August 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Manufacturer information