Mortar I.

This is coolbert:

This was somewhat of a surprise to me. The degree to which so many nations have developed and adopted precision-guided-munitions [PGM], to be fired from a mortar.

"Some impressive technological gains have enhanced accuracy, lethality and combat safety for the modern mortar systems."

I was aware that the British for some time. DID have such a round, a PGM to be fired from a mortar, but was NOT aware that so many other forms of this PGM had been developed and were being currently fielded.

[in the United State military, the projectile fired from a mortar is called a ROUND. The rest of the world refers to that same projectile as a mortar BOMB!]

We do NOT ordinarily think of the mortar as being a hi-tech weapon. On the contrary, is considered to be a lo-tech but very valuable weapons system. Allows infantry company and battalion commanders to possess their own organic indirect fire support.

That PGM mortar rounds of various types and guidance have proliferated in such numbers is again an indication of how military technology has changed over the many decades since the end of World War Two. Technology ONCE ONLY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF A FEW SELECT NATIONS IS MORE OR LESS NOW AVAILABLE TO ANYONE THAT HAS THE MONEY TO PAY!!

"Projectile guidance technology has already been used since 1994 in 120 mm mortars, with the IR homing Bofors/Saab Strix (picture below) and the Eastern Block 120 mm Gran (picture at left) mortar rounds."

It used to be that mortars operated only on the registration and adjust for fire concept as would any other indirect fire weapon. Lo-tech mortars firing lo-tech rounds was not only the rule, but what was desired. NOT any more. One shot, one hit, target destroyed??!!

"A 'semi-smart' mortar munition is under development . . . the new design implements laser homing technique . . . The idea is to fire a single mortar round on target to neutralize it, thus saving the costly ammunition spent in traditional ranging process."

coolbert.