Non-Subscriber Extract
China markets Type W99 mortar
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| 11 April 2001 |
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS JDW Land Forces Editor
Abu Dhabi
China
North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) is now offering for export an 82mm
towed rapid firing mortar system called the Type W99. In appearance the Type W99 appears to be almost identical to the Russian 82mm AM 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar system which entered service with the Soviet Army around 1971 and has also been manufactured in Hungary.
The Type W99 mortar weighs 650kg and is normally operated by a crew of four or five. It has a minimum range of 800m and a maximum range of 4,270m. When deployed in the firing position it rests on a screw-jack lowered under the forward part of the split-trail carriage and the two trails, each of which is provided with a spade.
Compared with conventional muzzle-loaded 81mm and 82mm mortars the 82 Type W99 offers a number of operational advantages including a higher rate of fire as the gunner can select single shots or burst firing. It can also be used in the direct fire role as well as the normal indirect fire role.
According to NORINCO, the Type W99 mortar is fitted with a standard sighting system and a firing calculator although no details of the latter have been released.
It can fire a W99 82mm high explosive mortar bomb or modified versions of existing 82mm mortar bombs with maximum muzzle velocity being 272m/s. Clips of four are loaded from the right and four bombs can be fired in 1.5s.
The 82mm ordnance has a traverse of 30º left and right with elevation from -1 to +85º. Breech loading is normally used at the lower angles of elevation but it can also be muzzle loaded.
The complete Russian 2K21 Vasilek mortar system comprises the actual AM 2B9 Vasilek mortar, the 2F54 transport vehicle based on the GAZ-66 (4 x 4) 2,000kg truck and 226 82mm mortar bombs (of which 96 are fitted with fuzes ready for use in 24 clips). The 2B9 Vasilek is normally carried in the rear of the GAZ-66 and unloaded when required for action using on-board handling gear. NORINCO has stated that it is offering a complete system built around the Type W99 mortar.
This is the latest in a long line of foreign weapon systems that have been reverse engineered by China for the home or export markets. Several years ago it was revealed that China was marketing an exact copy of the Italian Otobreda 105mm Model 56 Pack Howitzer (Jane's Defence Weekly 14 May 1997).
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| The Chinese 82 mm Type W99 mortar deployed in the firing position (Source: NORINCO) |