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The L16 81mm mortar is a British standard mortar used by the
File:L16 smoothbore.png, View down the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
, British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, and many other armed forces. It originated as a joint design by the UK and Canada. The version produced and used by Australia is named the F2 81mm Mortar, whilst the version used by the U.S. armed forces is known as the M252.
It was introduced in 1965–66, replacing the Ordnance ML 3 inch Mortar in UK service, where it is used by the British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, the Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
and the RAF Regiment.
In UK armoured/mechanised infantry battalions, the L16 mortar is mounted in an FV 432
FV may stand for:
Groups, organizations, companies
* Rossiya (airline) (IATA code: FV)
* Fachbuchverlag Leipzig, a German publishing house
* Federal Vision, an evangelical Christian faith
* Funk Volume, a hip hop record label founded by American ...
AFV (six per battalion mortar platoon). British army light role infantry battalions and the Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
may transport their mortars in BvS 10
The BvS10 (''Bandvagn Skyddad'' 10) is a tracked articulated amphibious all-terrain armoured vehicle produced by BAE Systems Land Systems Hägglunds of Sweden. This vehicle, referred to as the All Terrain Vehicle (protected) - ATV(P) or ''Vi ...
vehicles (the replacement for the Bv 206). Otherwise, it is carried disassembled in three loads, (barrel, baseplate and bipod with sights, each approximately 11 kg), normally carried by a vehicle or helicopter and assembled for firing from the ground.
The weapon can be man-packed by the mortar detachment, in which case the ammunition would be carried by other soldiers of the battalion. In addition to their normal equipment, each soldier would carry four bombs in a pair of two-bomb plastic containers (known as ''greenies'' in the British Army).
Operators
Current operators
* : known as 'F2 81mm mortar' * * * * * * * * * * * –Armed Forces of Malta
The Armed Forces of Malta ( mt, Forzi Armati ta' Malta) is the name given to the combined armed services of Malta. The AFM is a brigade sized organisation consisting of a headquarters and three separate battalions, with minimal air and naval ...
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* : L16A2
* : L16A2
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* : M252 mortar
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Former operators
* –Rhodesian Army
The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force (the Rhodesian Army), the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police, and various personnel ...
Gallery
smoothbore
A smoothbore weapon is one that has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.
History
Early firearms had smoothly bored barrels that fired projectiles without signi ...
barrel of the L16 mortar.
File:L16 baseplate.png, L16 baseplate.
File:L16 sight.png, L16 C2 sight.
File:L16 81mm mortar fired by JGSDF soldiers during Orient Shield 2012, -31 Oct. 2012 a.webm, Video of L16 81mm mortar fired by JGSDF soldiers during Orient Shield
Orient Shield is an annual training exercise executed in Japan between the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces (JGSDF) and United States Army. Since 1985, it has focused on development and refinement of systems and tactics in order to enhance b ...
2012
References
External links
* {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Infantry mortars Cold War weapons of the United Kingdom Mortars of the United Kingdom Artillery of Canada 81mm mortars Military equipment introduced in the 1960s