M30 (mortar)
| M30 (mortar) | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | M30 |
| Weapon Category: | heavy mortar |
| Team: | 4th |
| Technical specifications | |
| Pipe length: | 1.524 |
| Caliber : |
107 mm (4.2 inches) |
| Cadence : | up to 18 rounds / min |
The M30 is a heavy mortar of the United States Army . It has been in use since 1951 and is now being replaced by the M120 and M121 120 mm mortars.
technology
The mortar consists of four individual components:
- the barrel (107 mm) with the sighting device
- the base plate
- the prop
- and the connecting bridge with the shield
The entire mortar weighs 304 kg and can therefore only be transported over long distances by vehicles. A team of at least 4 men is required to operate.
In contrast to the wing-stabilized projectiles otherwise used in mortars, the M30 fires twist- stabilized grenades, similar to a howitzer .
commitment
The M30 was first used in 1951 during the Korean War , where it was introduced as a replacement for the heavy M2 mortars from World War II . However, the main use took place during the Vietnam War , where it served mainly as a close-range support weapon. In the mid-1990s, the army began to retire, but some examples are still in use.
The four-deuce called mortar was also used as the main weapon of the M106 mortar carrier mounted on M113 armored personnel carriers. The mortar is still in use in the Kuwaiti Army today .