Soltam K6
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Through Projectile, Iraq and Poland
Design overview
The K6 fires fin-stabilized ammunition from a smoothbore barrel. Unlike its smaller-ammunition cousins, the 81 mm and 60 mm mortars, the fin blades of the ammunition fired from the M120 are not canted. Thus, no spin is imparted to the projectile in flight. Although heavy mortars require trucks or tracked mortar carriers to move them, they are still much lighter than field artillery pieces. They outrange light and medium mortars, and their explosive power is much greater. An improved version is known as the K6A3.
High-explosive rounds fired by the M120 weigh about 31 lb (14 kg) and can have a lethality radius of 225 ft (69 m).
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History and deployment
The K6 entered service with the United States Army in 1991 as the M120 Mortar System. Its mission is to provide heavy-weapon, high-angle organic indirect fire support to the unit commander. The M120 is used by both mechanized units and light infantry in certain situations. Another feature of the M120 is the M303 sub-caliber insert, which allows the mortar to fire 81 mm ammunition.
The M120 is transported on the M1100 trailer by the M998 Humvee. The version that is mounted on the M1064 and M1129 mortar carriers is known as the M121.
In 2007, the U.S. Army ordered 588 M326 MSS (mortar stowage systems) from BAE Systems. Here, the assembled mortar is mounted on a truck, Humvee or M1101 trailer and can be mounted and dismounted in less than 20 seconds.
In November 2016, Elbit Systems announced it was awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract for the production of the M121
Components
The M120 mortar system consists of the following major components:
- M298 cannon assembly – 50 kg (110 lb)
- M190 bipod assembly – 32 kg (71 lb)
- M9 baseplate – 62 kg (137 lb)
- M1100 trailer – 181 kg (399 lb)
- M67 sight unit – 1.1 kg (2.4 lb)
The M120 is capable of firing the following munitions:
- XM395 precision guided munition
- M929 smoke cartridge (White Phosphorus)
- XM930 illumination round
- XM930E1 illumination round
- XM931 practice round
- M933 high-explosive round
- M934 high-explosive round
- M934A1 high-explosive round
- XM983 illumination round
Operators
- Armenia: 12; M120 variant
- Bolivia: M120 variant
- Denmark: 20
- Georgia: 18
- Iraq: 450; M120 variant
- Israel
- Kazakhstan M120 variant
- Latvia: 25; M120 variant
- Myanmar:80
- Poland: 142; M120 variant
- Ukraine: 30; M120 variant donated by the United States in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- United States: 1,076 M120 and M1064A3 variants