Path: spln!rex!lex!extra.newsguy.com!lotsanews.com!newsfeed.direct.ca!look.ca!news-out.visi.com!hermes.visi.com!gemini.tycho.net.POSTED!not-for-mail Approved: sci-military-moderated@retro.com Return-Path: news@server1.news.syd.ozemail.net Delivery-Date: Mon Jul 16 02:14:32 2001 Delivery-Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 02:14:31 -0700 for <sci-military-moderated@retro.com>; Mon, 16 Jul 2001 02:14:28 -0700 (PDT) for <sci-military-moderated@moderators.isc.org>; Mon, 16 Jul 2001 01:59:48 -0700 (PDT) To: sci-military-moderated@moderators.isc.org Message-ID: <3B52AE08.42D99B33@my-deja.com> From: brian ross <brian_ross_665@my-deja.com> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.74 [en] (X11; U; Linux 2.2.16 i686) X-Accept-Language: en Newsgroups: sci.military.moderated Subject: Re: Mortar levelling devices? References: <9ikrtl0tpe@enews1.newsguy.com> Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-NNTP-Posting-Host: octopus.harvestroad.com.au X-NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 18:59:44 EST Organization: OzEmail Ltd, Australia Distribution: world Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 17:04:08 +0800 Content-Length: 1503 Lines: 26 NNTP-Posting-Host: d73caa00.newsreader.tycho.net X-Trace: 995409998 gemini.tycho.net 327 205.179.181.194 X-Complaints-To: abuse@tycho.net Xref: spln sci.military.moderated:38243 TTK Ciar wrote: > > What are some of the methods that have been used to determine the > degree of angle between a mortar's support (baseplate and bipod) and > true (gravitational) horizontal for the purposes of adjusting firing > angle? Things that have occurred to me have been (1) using a level > to find a flat spot to set up the mortar on, (2) eyeballing it and > then walking fire to the target, and (3) hanging a weight suspended > against a pair of vertical-plane compasses at right angles (one for > X axis, one for Y axis) off which angles are read. But I hoped to > get answers from people who might know, rather than speculating. > > Has anyone implemented an angle detection system which relays this > information directly into a firecontrol computer for targetting? It > seems to me that the Swiss anti-artillery artillery mentioned here a > few weeks back (which detects mortar rounds en route and targets their > source for counterbombardment) might benefit from something like that. Several years ago, Armscorp, the major South African defence manufacturer was offering an interesting little system which only utilised a 60mm mortar, carried on a light vehicle, like a Landrover, which was equipped with an extremely advanced fire-control system, consisting of an automatic levelling baseplate, a GPS system and in addition, rather an ample supply of ammunition. Appeared to me, to be a gross over-use of technology but as a technology demonstrator it was rather interesting.