Non-Subscriber Extract
KADDB starts work on vehicle-mounted mortar
By Rupert Pengelley
04 April 2008
Jordan's King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) has begun development of a vehicle-mounted mechanised mortar (VM3) system and displayed Phase 1 components at the SOFEX 2008 exhibition in Amman in early April.
The system is based on the Chinese W86 120 mm smoothbore mortar. The Jordan Armed Forces have received 200 W86 mortar tubes, which are normally configured for dismounted operation, supported on a conventional bipod and baseplate.
KADDB has begun a three-phase development programme to improve the mortar's 'shoot-and-scoot' capability for special forces operations, aimed at converting it to an automated vehicle-mounted mortar system.
Phase 1 has resulted in the design and development of a prototype mortar recoil mechanism intended to reduce the recoil force of the W86 from 120 tons to 25 tons. The W86 has a barrel length of 1.54 m, a barrel pressure of 105 MPa and a recoiling mass of 380 kg.
The mount with its integral rotating platform was unveiled at SOFEX 2008 and is due to begin validation trials later in April as a drop-on fit aboard a variety of candidate platforms.
Image: KADDB's VM3 recoiling mortar mount (Jane's/IDR)