- Reaction score
- 4,625
- Points
- 1,260
For you 60mm fans, here's what the Brits are up to:
The majority of the M6-640 Commando handheld and M6-895 bipod-type 60 mm mortars acquired in quantity from Hirtenberger by the British Army to meet urgent operational requirements (UORs) in Afghanistan since 2008 are to be shelved for economy reasons.
According to Major Haydn Jellard, a staff officer from the Dismounted Close Combat section of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Capability Directorate Combat who spoke at the Defence IQ Future Mortar Systems conference in London in October, once the drawdown from Afghanistan is complete, the Anglo-Canadian 81 mm L16A2 mortar will again be the only type on issue to standard infantry battalions in Reaction Force and Adaptive Force brigades. Their infantry sections will also have the use of 40 mm grenade launchers for organic fire support at the shortest ranges.
Though heavier than its 60 mm counterpart, the long-serving L16A2 bipod mortar can be man-ported if necessary, has a greater range (5,650 m), and its bombs have more than twice the lethal radius. Concentrating on a single calibre will also yield economies of scale in the acquisition of smoke, illuminating, and high-explosive mortar ammunition.
It is expected a vestigial 60 mm mortar capability will nonetheless be "kept alive" within light forces, notably by UK Royal Marines (part of the navy) and parachute battalions, which will continue to employ a limited number of the 1,384 m-range Commando mortars. The remainder (including all the 3,610 m-range M6-895 bipod versions) will be "going into store", Maj Jellard stated ....