Product Manager Excalibur Product Manager Mortars Systems
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M1117 armored security vehicle tar weapon systems include the 60 mm, 81 mm and 120 mm mortars and related equipment. Fire-control systems, used to calculate mortar missions, include new, improved systems like the mortar fire-con- trol system-heavy (MFCS-H) and the light- weight handheld mortar ballistic com- puter (LHMBC). The M224 60 mm mortar weapon sys- tem is a lightweight, high-angle-of-fire, smooth-bore, manportable, muzzle-loaded mortar with improved rate-of-fire capabili- ties. The M224 consists of the following components: M225 cannon (tube), M170 bipod assembly, M7 baseplate, M8 auxil- tillery combat observation lasing teams Product Manager Excalibur iary baseplate and the M64A1 sight unit. (COLTs) in both heavy and Infantry brigade The Product Manager Excalibur (PM Ex- The M224 fires the complete family of 60 combat teams, the Armored Knight will calibur) is developing Excalibur, a preci- mm ammunition, such as high explosive, combine the proven armored security vehi- sion, autonomously guided, long-range ar- smoke, illumination, infrared illumination cle with the M707 Knight mission equip- tillery system. and practice cartridges. With ranges from ment package. The XM982 Excalibur is a 155 mm preci- 70 meters to 3,500 meters, the M224 meets The resultant M1200 Armored Knight sion-guided artillery round with extended lethality, range and weight requirements will provide COLTs with increased armor range. Already being fielded to warfight- for light forces without an additional trans- protection, payload and agility. Textron ers and successfully employed in combat portation requirement. Marine and Land Systems is presently un- operations, Excalibur uses GPS precision- The M252 81 mm mortar system is a der contract with the U.S. Army for 107 guidance technology to provide accurate, smooth-bore, muzzle-loaded weapon that modified ASVs to be used as the base vehi- first round fire-for-effect capability in an replaced the M29A1 mortar. It features a cle for the M1200 Armored Knight produc- urban setting. high-rate-of-fire, extended range, improved tion. Excalibur is approximately 1 meter in lethality and improved overall system char- length and weighs 106 pounds. Its 40-kilo- acteristics. The entire family of 81 mm am- AMMUNITION meter range and high accuracy result in in- munition can be fired by the M252. The creased lethality through a decrease in re- M252 consists of the following components: The Program Executive Office for Am- quired volume of fire per engagement. M253 cannon (tube), M177 bipod, M3A1 munition (PEO Ammo) has the mission to Excalibur 1b is currently in competitive baseplate and the M64A1 sight unit. develop and procure conventional leap- development and testing. The M120/M121 120 mm Battalion Mor- ahead munitions to increase combat power tar System is a smooth-bore, muzzle-load- to warfighters. Project managers within Product Manager Mortars Systems ed, high-angle-of-fire weapon that re- the PEO include: Combat Ammunition The Product Manager Mortars Systems placed the M30 4.2-inch mortar, providing Systems, Close Combat Systems Maneu- (PM Mortars) is responsible for weapon increased range, lethality, illumination and ver Ammunition Systems and Joint Ser- and fire-control systems and for the devel- smoke screening effectiveness over the vices. opment of the precision-guided mortar previous system. It consists of the M298 Project Manager Combat Ammunition munition (PGMM), a new precision mortar barrel assembly, M190/M191 bipod assem- Systems (PM CAS), for example, is respon- round currently under development. Mor- bly, the M9 baseplate and the M67 sight. sible for equipping soldiers with all tube- launched, indirect-fire munitions and mor- tar weapons systems for the Army’s cur- rent, Stryker and Future Forces. Under the Single Manager for Conventional Ammuni- tion (SMCA) responsibilities, PM CAS pro- cures ammunition for other services. The PM does this through life-cycle program management of artillery and mortar prod- Soldiers carry an ucts in precision-guided munitions, smart Excalibur round. munitions, conventional munitions, mor- tar weapons systems, mortar fire-control systems and fuzes/fuze setters. Organizations within PM CAS include Product Manager Excalibur, Product Man- ager Mortars Systems, the Conventional Ammunition Division and the Business Management Division. October 2009 I ARMY 371 The 120 mm battalion mortar system pro- Both 120 mm mortar system configura- pressures generated during firing. vides close-in and continuous indirect-fire tions use graphic scales, M16 and M19 The M313 consists of an 81 mm mortar support to maneuver forces and can rap- plotting boards, firing tables and the M23 tube similar to the current M253 tube, a idly respond to threats. The battalion mor- mortar ballistic computer. The system is spacer and a mock 120 mm tube which al- tar platoon must move frequently to avoid compatible with the M2 aiming circle, M45 lows access to the 81 mm tube’s firing pin. counterfire and maintain continuous fire series boresight equipment, M14 aiming The system uses the breech cap from the support to advancing friendly forces. posts and the M58/59 aiming post lights. tactical 120 mm tube to provide more real- This mortar system has been fielded for The mortar fire-control system is currently ism in training. use in mechanized infantry, armor and cav- being fielded (see below), which will The M313 retains all the performance alry units with the M1064A3 tracked mor- vastly improve all fire-control aspects of characteristics of the M253 81 mm mortar tar carrier (M121). Light units use a towed the system. tube used with the M252 mortar system. version of the mortar, which is transported The XM326 Stowage Kit (Quick Stow) The M313 is approximately half the cost of by the M1101 trailer (M120), and will is a 120 mm mortar improvement. The the M253, weighs 4.5 pounds less, and in- mount on the QuickStowTM device for powered device will allow a 120 mm mor- corporates an internal blast attenuation easy emplacement and displacement. tar to be carried as a single unit. The device device, reducing the number of parts and The M120 towed system consists of the uses a mortar support strut to hold the simplifying maintenance and operation. following components: M298 cannon mortar tube, base plate and bipod solidly Other recent government and industry de- (tube), M190 bipod, M9 baseplate and the together. This assembly is emplaced or re- velopment efforts have focused on preci- M67 sight unit. The M120, when trans- covered by a hydraulic driven winch. A sion guidance and extended range op- ported on the M1100 trailer, is primarily manual lift winch and strap are also avail- tions. towed by a high-mobility, multipurpose able for use as a manual backup. Once the The M95/M96 Mortar Fire-Control Sys- wheeled vehicle (Humvee). 120 mm mortar is emplaced, the support tem (MFCS) is a revolutionary improve- The M121 carrier-mounted mortar sys- strut is disengaged and the hauling plat- ment in mortar fire-control capability, link- tem consists of the M298 cannon, M9 base- form is moved before mortar firing begins. ing mortar fires with the digital battlefield. plate (for ground mount mode), M191 bi- The M313 Training Insert is a subcaliber MFCS provides digital fire-control capabil- pod, an adapter kit for mounting in the insert used to reduce the life-cycle training ity for mortar carrier vehicles. It also pro- M1064A3 and the M67 sight unit with an costs of the M120/M121 battalion mortar vides digital connectivity with AFATDS, 3 extension assembly. The turntable pro- system by approximately $33 million per mil azimuth and 1 mil elevation pointing vides a 90-degree area of fire. The adapta- year. The M313 will replace the M303 in- accuracy, no crew dismount and ballistic tion kit has a breech piece socket, bipod sert. The M313 is capable of firing the 300 calculations within 10 seconds. MFCS support, travel clamp assembly, step as- series and newer 800 series 81 mm ammu- combines a highly accurate weapon point- sembly and brackets to mount the mortar nition. The M303 is restricted from firing ing device, an inertial navigation/position into the M1064A3. the 800 series ammunition due to higher system and a digital communications ca- pability embedded in the fire-control com- puter to create a highly responsive and ac- curate fire-control system. The system al- lows mortar crews to send and receive digital call-for-fire messages, determine the pointing and position of the weapon, and calculate ballistic solutions. The mor- tar fire-control system is made up of the following hardware that is ruggedized for use in combat, in all types of weather, and in military vehicles: pointing device (TALIN Datasheet), commander’s inter- face, gunner’s display, driver’s display, GPS PLGR, power distribution assembly and cables. Mortar fire-control system ca- pabilities provide significant enhance- M136 AT4 light ments in survivability, accuracy and re- antiarmor weapon sponsiveness, while providing a link to other digital fire-control network assets. Most notably, since the system can receive a fire mission on the move, MFCS allows mortars to stop, fire and move in less than one minute—down from the current 8/12 minute (day/night) standard. A mortar section can utilize split operations without a crew dismount, allowing for dispersed operations. Accuracy of the mortar is also increased by a factor of three. All of these advantages increase the survivability and responsiveness for mortars on the future battlefield. A planned improvement for the MFCS is the XM150 Dismounted Mortar System. service Marine Corps/Army system that Networked Munitions, Force Application, The XM150 dismounted mortar system is calculates the ballistic solution for the en- Special Projects and Shoulder Launched similar to the M95 120 mm, M121 carrier tire family of fielded U.S.