South Korea has completed development of a 120 mm self-propelled mortar system that has been integrated into an M113-type tracked armoured personnel carrier (APC).
A screengrab taken from a DAPA video showing South Korea's recently developed 120 mm mortar system integrated into an M113-type tracked APC. (DAPA)
The country’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) announced in a 27 June statement that the self-propelled system, development of which began in March 2014, has successfully met all the requirements set by the South Korean military following final tests and evaluations.
Developed for the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) by several South Korean companies, including Hanwha Defense and S&T Dynamics, for KRW 41.3 billion (USD35.7 million), the integrated mortar system, which can rotate 360°, is stated to have a strike range 2.3 times greater than that of the ageing M30 107 mm rifled mortar it is expected to replace.
The DAPA also revealed that new weapon is equipped with an automated fire control and reloading system. The self-propelled system appears to be based on a variant of South Korea's K200A1 tracked APC.
South Korea is also using another M113-type vehicle, possibly the K277A1 command post vehicle, as a command platform for the new system.
The development of this self-propelled mortar system is expected to greatly improve the capabilities of RoKA mechanised troops, a DAPA official was quoted in the statement as saying, adding that Seoul would “actively support” the export of the system to countries interested in acquiring it.
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