M224 mortar

M224 mortar
Type	Mortar
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1978[1]
Used by	USA
Wars	Gulf War War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Specifications
Weight	21.1 kilograms (47 lb)
Barrel length	1 meter (3.3 feet)
Crew	3
Caliber	60 mm (2.4 in)
Rate of fire	up to 20 rpm sustained, 30 rpm in exceptional circumstances and for short periods
Effective firing range	HE: 70–3,490 m (76–3,816 yds)
Feed system	manual

The M224 60 mm Lightweight Mortar is a smooth bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for close-in support of ground troops.

Description

The M224 system is composed of the

• M225 Cannon: 14.4 lb (7 kg)
• M170 Bipod: 15.2 lb (7 kg)
• M7A1 Baseplate for use in conventional mode: 9.6 lb (4 kg) or
  • M8 baseplate for use in handheld mode: 3.6 lb (2 kg)
• M64A1 Sight Unit: 2.5 lb (1 kg)

The mount consists of a bipod and a base plate, which is provided with screw type elevating and traversing mechanisms to elevate/traverse the mortar. The M64A1 sight unit is attached to the bipod mount. The mortar can be fired in the conventional mode or the handheld mode. This smooth-bore system can be gravity-fired or fired by using a manual spring-loaded firing system.

It is typically fielded at the infantry company level.

History

The M225 LWCMS (Lightweight Company Mortar System) replaced the older (WWII-era) 60 mm M2 Mortar and M19 Mortar. These weapons only had an effective range of 2,000 m (2,187 yd). While the M224 was designed to fire all types of the older ammunition, its primary rounds are of the newer, longer-range type that range out to 3,489 m (3,816 yd).

In 2011, an improved M224A1 version was brought into service. The M224A1 consists of the M225A1 tube, M170A1 bipod assembly, M7A1 baseplate, M8 auxiliary baseplate and the M64A1 sight unit. By reducing the number of components and using lighter materials, such as aluminium and Kevlar reinforced composites, the mortar system weighs 20% less with a reduction of 9.3 lb (4 kg). The US Army plans to replace all legacy M224s with the new M224A1.^[2][3] Concurrently, a lighter version of the 81mm M252 mortar was also developed.

Ammunition

The M224 Mortar can fire the following principal classifications of training and service ammunition:

• High explosive (HE): Designations M888, M720, and M720A1. Used against personnel and light material targets.
  • M1061: Improved HE with insensitive munitions performance-enhancing fragmentation warhead.^[4]
• Smoke Cartridge (WP): Designation M722. Used as a screening, signaling, or marking munition.^[5]
• Illumination (ILLUM): Used in night missions requiring illumination for assistance in observation.
• Training practice (TP): Designation M50A2/A3. Used for training in limited areas. These rounds are obsolete and not used anymore.
• Red Phosphorus: Which can be seen with or without a Night Vision Optic
• Full Range Practice Cartridges (FRPC): Designation M769. This round is used for practice or clearing misfires.
• M1061 MAPAM: SAAB Technologies produced Multi-Purpose Anti-Personnel Anti-Material round.

Fuzes

The M224 rounds have three fuze types: The Multioption Fuze (M734), the Point-Detonating Fuze (M525), and Timer fuze. The M734 is used for the M720 HE round and can be set to function as proximity burst, near-surface burst, impact burst, or delay burst.

Gallery

• 
  M224 mortarman in Afghanistan, 2004. Conventional mode.
• 
  Marine mortarman in Afghanistan, 2010. Handheld mode.
• 
  M224 mortar
• 
  Handheld configuration in Afghanistan, 2010.
• 
  M224A1.
• 
  M224A1 mortarman in Yakima Training Center, 2013

See also

• General articles:
  • Artillery
  • Military technology and equipment
  • Mortar (weapon)
• Similar weapons:
  • M252 mortar
• Listings:
  • List of artillery
  • List of crew served weapons of the US Armed Forces

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to M224 Mortar.

• US Army Fact File: M224
• Operators manual – USMC
• (video) DVIDS: US Marines testing firing M224A1, July 2011