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| 120mm Mortar Smart Shell Causes a Revolution |
| 2004-12-28 |
| December 28, 2004: The United States Army is introducing the German designed Bussard guided 120mm mortar projectile (the "XM395 precision guided mortar munition"). The 39 pound, 39 inch long shell homes in on reflected laser light from current laser designators used by American troops. The shell has a range of 15 kilometers, and the guidance system on the shell provides accuracy of several meters (from the point where the laser is pointed at.) Unguided shells only have a range of 7.2 kilometers and are much less accurate. The guidance system of the XM495 allows for accurate hits no matter what the range, so XM395 mortar shells can be fired effectively to their maximum range of 15 kilometers. The seeker electronics in the shell use thermal batteries, giving the shell a shelf life of ten years. Various types of warheads can be used, including penetrators for taking out bunkers. Targets like this are usually too small to be hit, much less taken out, by mortar fire. But the XM395 has been able to do it in tests. A high explosive shell would be a big help in city fighting, where you want to hit the house full of bad guys, and not the hospital next door. The U.S. Army has over a thousand 120mm self-propelled mortars. These were produced, or converted from older systems, in the late 1990s. U.S. infantry and tank battalions have 6-10 120mm mortars each. Light infantry units have 120mm mortars that are hauled around in hummers and set up for firing. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 Steve, I guess I should have added "//sarcasm off"... I was mocking those who proclaim the USA kills indiscriminately, while ignoring the obvious reason for producing smart munitions, whose function is to avoid killing innocent while killing-very-dead, um, non-innocents. Make no mistake, I support 100% the World War on Islamo-fascists, and I like my wedding cake well-targeted:) |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-12-28 5:01:26 PM |
| #8 Or the turbans with the RPGs... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-12-28 4:12:19 PM |
| #7 where's the fun in that? Hyper, the fun is in the precision. Anyone can level an entire city block. A true artist can drop one of these beauties into the cake at a wedding party without disturbing the valet parking guy. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-12-28 4:10:26 PM |
| #6 The shell has a range of 15 kilometers, and the guidance system on the shell provides accuracy of several meters... This is very disturbing to those of us who belive that smart munitions only serve to decrease civilian collateral damage... where's the fun in that? |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-12-28 2:50:22 PM |
| #5 Next the in-flight programable GPS mortar round with terminal radar guidance. Costs less than a hammer. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-12-28 2:48:35 PM |
| #4 Raptor, wasn't that in a cartoon someplace (Bugs Bunny? Daffy duck?). The shell stops at the door, a hand emerges and knocks politely and when (whoever) answers *boom*.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-12-28 2:22:22 PM |
| #3 Knock,knock! Whose's there? Ka. Ka,who. Ka-BOOM |
| Posted by: Raptor 2004-12-28 2:18:22 PM |
| #2 A Mad Mullah nightmare... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-12-28 11:45:49 AM |
| #1 Cool! Can I get one? :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-12-28 11:21:33 AM |