Posted on 03/07/2017 7:59:38 AM PST by C19fan
The U.S. Army plans to issue contracts this year for development of a next-generation laser-guided 120mm mortar system.
The new precision high explosive guided mortar, which will replace the current system, eliminates the need to typically fire several rounds to adjust fire for accurate strikes and also incorporate threat counter-measures and enhanced mobility.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Later
Its about time. That will be a quantum leap in mortar effectiveness.
Or a mortarman who understands arching.
Captain Stillman: All right, soldier, let’s see how you fire that mortar.
Soldier with Mortar: What coordinates, sir?
Captain Stillman: [annoyed] Coordinates?
Soldier with Mortar: Yes, sir, they determine where the mortar’s...
Captain Stillman: Soldier, the army has spent a lot of money teaching you to fire that thing. Now set it and fire it.
Soldier with Mortar: Sir, we don’t know where the shell’s gonna...
Captain Stillman: Soldier. The only way to learn anything is to do it. Now fire the weapon.
Stripes was a great movie.
The comic talent in that movie is mind blowing.
No more aiming stakes and plotting boards.
Oh, this bodes ill for the Field Artillery.
Can you imagine Field Artillery Officer Basic?
“Just point her to the west and let her fly.”
Give me an EM50 any time.
Smoothbore weapons have the disadvantage of poor accuracy, so you almost have to guide the round to get hits at the longer ranges.
The problems with guided rounds are:
Big-time expensive per shot - around 10-15 times the cost of an unguided round
Tend not to age well in storage. The have a "shelf life".
For laser-guided projectiles, you, the FO, have to expose yourself for an eternity in the direct line of sight of your target while you wait for the round to arrive.
GPS-guided rounds can be jammed.
PS: the AMOS is an elegant system with a really cool breechloading system but it is a heavy, large pig. Not a good choice for rapid movement to the combat area, since it won't fit with many planes or be lifted by anybody's helicopters.
So, new mortar rounds so expensive they cannot be used for practice or many available for combat?
Drones mark them
Mortars kill them.
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