L9A1 51 mm Light Mortar
Encyclopedia
The L9A1 51 mm Light Mortar is a man-portable mortar
system used by the British Army
. Smoke, illuminating and high explosive bombs are available. A short range insert device allows the weapon to be used in a direct fire mode. The 51 mm mortar, which replaced the World War II
-vintage 2 inch mortar
, was due to be phased out by the use of the 40 mm
L17A2 UGL (Under-slung Grenade Launcher
) mounted on the L85A2 however operational experience has led to the decision to replace it with a 60mm Mortar The 630 60 mm Mortar has been procured as a Urgent Operational Requirement
(UOR) to replace the current 51 mm Mortar on current operations.
Ammunition for the 51 mm mortar has a small, ring-pull safety pin on the side of the nose-fuze
. The fuze remains unarmed until the pin is withdrawn. Therefore, the safety pin must always be removed and discarded before a mortar shell is fired.
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
system used by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Smoke, illuminating and high explosive bombs are available. A short range insert device allows the weapon to be used in a direct fire mode. The 51 mm mortar, which replaced the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-vintage 2 inch mortar
British 2 inch mortar
The Ordnance SBML 2-inch mortar, or more commonly just "2-inch mortar", was a British mortar issued to the British Army and the Commonwealth armies that saw use during the Second World War and later....
, was due to be phased out by the use of the 40 mm
40 mm grenade
The 40mm grenade is a military grenade caliber for grenade launchers in service with many armed forces. There are two main types in service: the 40×46mm, which is a low-velocity round used in hand-held grenade launchers; and the high-velocity 40×53mm, used in mounted and crew-served weapons. The...
L17A2 UGL (Under-slung Grenade Launcher
Under-slung Grenade Launcher
- Examples : M203 AG36 GP-25/30 wz. 1974 GL1/ M320...
) mounted on the L85A2 however operational experience has led to the decision to replace it with a 60mm Mortar The 630 60 mm Mortar has been procured as a Urgent Operational Requirement
Urgent Operational Requirement
An Urgent Operational Requirement is a system used by the British Ministry of Defence to obtain urgent equipment for operations.Supplementing the MOD's long term planned equipment programme are Urgent Operational Requirements , funded by extra Treasury money to provide the fast equipment...
(UOR) to replace the current 51 mm Mortar on current operations.
Ammunition for the 51 mm mortar has a small, ring-pull safety pin on the side of the nose-fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
. The fuze remains unarmed until the pin is withdrawn. Therefore, the safety pin must always be removed and discarded before a mortar shell is fired.
Specifications
- Calibre: 51.25 mm (2.02 in)
- Weight:
- Complete: 6.275 kg (13.8 lb)
- Length of barrel: 700 mm (27.5 in)
- Range: 750 m (820 yd)
- Rapid Rate of Fire: 8 rounds per minute
- Bomb weight:
- Illumination: 800 grams (1.76 lb)
- Smoke: 900 grams (1.98 lb)
- High Explosive: 920 grams (2.03 lb)
