Defense Technology International - December 2007 - (Page 19)

MORTAR MAKEOVER Upgrades improve 60-mm. weapon’s accuracy and ﬁrepower DAVID ESHEL•TEL AVIV ften regarded as a “poor man’s artillery,” the mortar is being upgraded with new technologies and applications to enhance accuracy and ﬁrepower. Among features being added to the weapon are GPS-coordinated ﬁre-control systems, a precise laser-guided round and under-armor models designed so that tank crews can harass or destroy an enemy with indirect ﬁre from the safety of their vehicles. SOLTAM LTD. O Under-armor mortars are mounted in Israel’s latest Merkava Mk 4 tanks. The focus of these developments is the 60-mm. mortar, generally regarded as a low-cost yet e ective defensive and o ensive weapon. The 60-mm. mortar is the weapon of choice among peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, for example, where its ease-of-use improves ﬁre support for small tactical forces. Soltam Systems Ltd. of Haifa, Israel, is an innovator in mortar design. Recent developments include the C-06 LongRange Mortar. Weighing 18 kg. (39.6 lb.), the company says the mortar is 20% www.aviationweek.com/dti lighter than usual, due to the use of a forged aluminum base plate, lightweight bipod and tube. Less weight doesn’t a ect ﬁrepower. The C-06 ﬁres shells with M38A1 proximity fuzes, dramatically increasing the lethality of the weapon against unprotected targets while minimizing collateral damage through the use of 60-mm. shells. A two-man team can quickly generate continuous ﬁre with the weapon. Mortars are usually ﬁred at targets that are visible to a ﬁre director or the ﬁring team. High-precision ﬁring with GPS coordinates can be achieved in less than 30 sec. with the C-06, using Soltam’s hand-held, ﬁre-control computer, which supports the company’s range of tubes, including 120- and 81mm. sizes. The C-06 mortar has a range of 4,000 meters (2.4 mi.), which makes it e ective at the platoon level. It has a full-sighting system, enabling accurate alignment and elevation and incorporating range tables for easy ﬁring. An extended-range version, the C06A1, weighing 27 kg., has a range of 6,000 meters and is also operated by two crewmembers. The mortar has a fixed pin, which fires a shell immediately upon loading. In the U.S., the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) is designing a system to make tactical mortars more accurate. The Optically Designated Attack Munitions (ODAM) program is a technology development and integration initiative to demonstrate a low-cost, laser-guided optical seeker for 60-mm. mortars. Darpa selected BAE Systems to develop the system. The goal of the project is to equip small units with relatively inexpensive mortars that fire guided shells. An optical seeker and guidance unit will replace the fuze. Darpa also plans to conduct research that will give the 60-mm. ODAM shell the power of a 105-mm. high-explosive round. When first announced in 2005, ODAM was slated for a two-year development period, but the latest word is that there may be delays. Another development based on combat experience is Soltam’s 60-mm. under-armor mortar, which is installed in Israel’s Merkava Mk 4 tank. Most of the mortar is in the tank, with the uppermost part of the tube protruding. Rounds are inserted from within the vehicle using a small hatch and safety interlock to prevent ﬁring if the hatch is not properly closed. The weapon is linked to the tank’s on-board fire-control system, which provides automatic aiming. Extendedrange ammunition is also an option. The beneﬁt of the mortar is it can be used to attack an enemy that’s not easily targeted by a tank’s main weapons, for example because of ﬁring restrictions in an urban area. Some analysts claim the under-armor mortar is useless in combat. But after facing hundreds of AT-3 Sagger NOAM ESHEL Soltam C-06 Long-Range mortar, on display at AUSA 2007, weighs only 18 kg. missiles in Sinai during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, rocket-propelled grenades in Lebanon and close-in tank-killer teams firing at blind spots in urban battles, Israeli tank veterans disagree. They say an under-armor weapon is an asset. Also under development by Soltam is a breech-loaded mortar, which can be aimed and ﬁred by a tank loader under armor. The loader inserts the mortar into a ball-type ﬁring port and aims and adjusts ﬁre with the periscope. I 19 DECEMBER 2007 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL http://www.aviationweek.com/dti

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Defense Technology International - December 2007

Defense Technology International - December 2007 Contents Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch BrahMos: Ramjet Ship Killer r-e-s-p-e-c-t Deja Vu Trump Card Dubai Demos Agile Helos Joint Force Online Charge UGVs Creep, Crawl to Victory Sweet Ride Fast, Lethal Ship Defense Networking Stealth: Why Raptors Can't Talk The Net Cutting Edge First Person In Review Insight

Defense Technology International - December 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.