Path: spln!rex!extra.newsguy.com!lotsanews.com!news-out.cwix.com!newsfeed.cwix.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!news-out.visi.com!hermes.visi.com!gemini.tycho.net.POSTED!not-for-mail Approved: sci-military-moderated@retro.com Return-Path: news@btopenworld.com Delivery-Date: Fri Jan 04 12:19:25 2002 Delivery-Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2002 12:19:25 -0800 for <sci-military-moderated@retro.com>; Fri, 4 Jan 2002 12:19:24 -0800 (PST) id 16MaXe-0007jc-00 for sci-military-moderated@moderators.isc.org; Fri, 04 Jan 2002 21:02:14 +0100 id 16MaVI-0000iF-1l for sci-military-moderated@moderators.isc.org; Fri, 04 Jan 2002 19:59:48 +0000 for sci-military-moderated@moderators.isc.org; Fri, 04 Jan 2002 19:59:48 +0000 To: sci-military-moderated@moderators.isc.org From: "Charles Phillips" <Cwrphillips@btopenworld.com> Newsgroups: sci.military.moderated Subject: Re: 120mm Mortars Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 19:59:48 +0000 (UTC) Organization: BT Openworld Message-ID: <a151jj$fnk$1@helle.btinternet.com> References: <5cfb6f9f.0112300945.1a57376a@posting.google.com> <a0qehg$1uq$1@paris.btinternet.com> <5cfb6f9f.0112312236.1302bbda@posting.google.com> <a1012c$5gk$1@knossos.btinternet.com> <5cfb6f9f.0201031649.136311cb@posting.google.com> <HNjZ7.229$BJ4.31998@read2.inet.fi> X-NNTP-Posting-Host: host213-122-86-18.btinternet.com X-Complaints-To: usenet@helle.btinternet.com X-NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 19:59:48 +0000 (UTC) X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 Sender: Usenet News <news@btopenworld.com> Content-Length: 1670 Lines: 38 NNTP-Posting-Host: 6b3eb835.newsreader.tycho.net X-Trace: 1010175037 gemini.tycho.net 79558 205.179.181.194 X-Complaints-To: abuse@tycho.net Xref: spln sci.military.moderated:41614 "Mika Sihto" <sardaukar67@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:HNjZ7.229$BJ4.31998@read2.inet.fi... > There is one page that shows bit closer view and some additional info: > http://members.surfeu.fi/stefan.allen/AMOS.html > > Note that the dual mortar barrels are lot longer than standard mortar > barrels, suggesting also lot higher velocity for mortar round. > > Cheers, > > M.S. > The AMOS is yet another and even longer ranged mortar, 10+km. A longer barrel is certainly the traditional way of increasing mortar range: The Soltam heavy mortar fires the M57 round to 8.5km while the light mortar fires the same round 7.2km, this is thanks to a barrel that is 2154mm instead of 1758mm. Overall my view is that infantry mortars lack the targeting assets that the artillery have and so can only hit targets their observers can see, say 2km forward of their positions. Unit boundaries, communication and logistics mean that the mortars want to be 1 to 5km behind the front. Hence 7km sound like a good range to me. More range would always be nice, to have in reserve, but I would not give much to get it, even lifting each bomb the extra 400mm to the muzzle is probably not worth the extra 1.3km. It all comes down to my original statement that you can't get something for nothing, hence you have to decide on the correct balance for a given role. The French rifled mortar is an exception as it is often used at brigade level, like a light howitzer. Enemy guns and mortars are located using specialist equipment belonging to the artillery and then hit with guns or MBRLs. Without these assets even a 100km range mortar cannot hit back at the weapons bombarding them.