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M327 in action

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"that with it Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits, in Thy mercy."

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Not being an 11C, what causes that effect?

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Not being an 11C 0341, what causes that effect?

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So God really does have a hardon for Marines...............





I knew it.

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I thought that 81mm's were the biggest we used?





Damn, they must've gotten some new toys since I've been out.

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Because we kill everything we see.

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The round clips to stub that contains the cliped on powder increments, this causes the cross like appearance of the muzzle flash. But it goes in all directions.

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What keeps the gas from bypassing the round on ignition or is that not a problem ?

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What keeps the gas from bypassing the round on ignition or is that not a problem ?

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I thought that 81mm's were the biggest we used?

Damn, they must've gotten some new toys since I've been out.

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The stub holds the lifting charge.

http://www.marines.mil/_layouts/getthumbnail.aspx?ImageUrl=/unit/2ndmardiv/PublishingImages/100218-M-9426J-005.jpg

Lifting charge pushes the round.

http://www.marines.mil/_layouts/getthumbnail.aspx?ImageUrl=/unit/2ndmardiv/PublishingImages/100218-M-9426J-006.jpg

http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/news/2010/SteelRainFox212qualifiesonnewmortarsystem.aspx

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/03/marine_mortar_030110w/

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Fixt

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What keeps the gas from bypassing the round on ignition or is that not a problem ?

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I thought that 81mm's were the biggest we used?

Damn, they must've gotten some new toys since I've been out.

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Not being an 11C, what causes that effect?

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0811s man it

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I was using 107mm "four deuce" mortars in the early 90s and some of the tubes were made in the late 1950s.  In 1996 we got the Soltam 120mm.  81's are the 9mm of mortars.

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I can't tell, but with that rifled, does it use the same ammo as the Army's 120?

Whats the range delta between the two?

Background:
The Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) is an artillery weapons system conceived, designed and procured to provide support to the vertical assault element of the Ship to Objective Maneuver (STOM) force.  It is the final leg of the fires triad (HIMARS, M777 and EFSS) to be fielded and enhances the artillery community’s ability to provide fires to supported maneuver units throughout all phases of amphibious and expeditionary operations without impacting current infantry or artillery manning.
 
The current fielding plan has each active duty artillery regiment receiving sufficient EFSS to support the Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), plus an additional set to train batteries preparing to lock on with a MEU. 10th Marines is scheduled to receive four sets of equipment, two have been issued and fielded with a third being delivered by the end of FY-10. The fourth set will be delivered after 11th and 12th Marines receive their initial sets.

EFSS is designed to be employed during limited duration operations ashore in support of dismounted infantry.  Designated personnel within the battery, equipped with EFSS, will conduct the vertical assault to support limited duration operations ashore (up to 72 hours) then return to ship with the supported force. If the STOM force transitions to sustained operations, the remainder of battery, with the M777s, will close on the force equipped with EFSS and transition to all M777 operations. The EFSS equipment will be embarked back aboard amphibious shipping. Batteries do not possess the organization, equipment or training to conduct simultaneous M777 and EFSS operations.  

Equipment: Currently the EFSS is an additional equipment set assigned to an artillery battery to deploy with the MEUs. It consists of the following items:

•6 x M327 120mm Rifled Towed Mortars (RTM)
•6 x Internally Transportable Vehicles (ITV): Serve as the RTM Prime Movers
o Each ITV carries 2 pax per vehicle
•6 x Ammunition Support Vehicles (ASV) : A modified ATV
o Each ITV carries 3 pax per vehicle
•6 x Ammunition Support Trailers (AST) :
oEach carries 30 Rds of HE horizontally
oOr each carries 20 WP/ Illum vertically due to filling
oTotal of 180 rounds in the 6 trailers
oEach mortar can also carry 4x HE Rds
oTotal number is 204 HE rounds per set
•5 x Battery Support Vehicles (BSV): A utility variant
oEach BSV carries 3 pax per vehicle
oSupports C2 and logistics for the EFSS unit
oRing mount supports .50 cal, Mk-19, M240G
•50 pax can be carried if all 17 vehicles are employed.
•Vehicles possess a 300km capacity with a full tank and 2x 5 Gallon fuel cans.


Capabilities:

Crew: 1 Section Chief and 4 Cannoneers

Range:  The M327 120mm Mortar can engage targets from 200m to 8100m.

Rate of Fire:  The mortar has a maximum rate of fire of 16 rounds per minute for the first minute and a sustained rate of fire of 4 rounds per minute.

Ammunition:  The M327 is capable of firing both US Army smoothbore and rifled 120mm ammunition.  The types of rounds are HE, WP, Illum, and HE Practice.  The following is a table for all ammunition that can be fired from the M327 mortar.

ModelFuzeMin RangeMax RangeMax ROFSustained  ROFBurn Time (min)ECR (m)
M1101, HEMO13007900155N/A55
M1103, WPMO120078001551-1:30N/A
M1105, ILLUMET130081001551:30N/A
M1107, PRACMO13007900155N/AN/A
M933A1, HE (SB)*MO2007200155N/A45
M929, WP (SB)*MO20072001551N/A
XM930, ILLUMMTSQ20072001551N/A
*SB = Smooth Bore

ECR:  The effective casualty radius of a 120mm mortar round is 55m.  

Response Time:  The times required to process calls for fire and determine firing data is approximately the same for the mortar as it is for a howitzer.  Processing missions that require individual gun data, however, take longer for a mortar platoon than for a howitzer battery.  Other gains in responsiveness for the mortars come from a relatively rapid displacement, movement, and occupation rate.

Occupation Time:  From the time a mortar platoon arrives at a new location, it is ready to receive fire missions in under 9 minutes during daytime and under 15 minutes during nighttime.

Out of Traverse Missions:  As compared to an M777A2 howitzer, the mortar can fire out of traverse missions significantly faster.  It will take 3 minutes daytime/6 minutes nighttime from when quadrant is passed to the gunline in order to conduct an out of traverse mission.

Linear Target and FPF Lengths:  Linear sheafs can cover up to 350m.
Air delivery:  The EFSS is capable of being internally transported in the CH-53 and MV-22.
•Two V-22 or CH-53 sorties are required to move 8 pax, 1x EFSS section consisting of a mortar and its associated ITV and the Ammunition Support Vehicle with its trailer consisting of 30 rounds.
•A total of 17 V-22 or CH-53 sorties are required to move a complete EFSS set consisting of 6x sections, 5x BSVs and 50 pax.

Limitations:

Ammunition:  As referenced in paragraph 2007 2. b., a six tube EFSS battery can internally carry only 204 M1101, Rifled, High Explosive rounds not including illumination and white phosphorous rounds.  Ammunition resupply would have to be conducted if the battery was to be emplaced for an extended period of time.

Security:  The EFSS platoon is limited to 50 pax, limiting the ability to conduct local.

Survivability:  The ITVs and BSVs are soft skinned vehicles and are not survivable against mines, IEDs, or small arms.  

Load:  Weight restrictions must be considered in order to internally transport the vehicles in aircraft.  There is minimal excess equipment (unit or personal) allowed in the air delivered employment of EFSS.  The following table outlines allowable weights for EFSS air delivery:

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Is anyone even bothering with 60mm anymore?

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How much do you lose using the smoothbore ammo versus the rifled ammo?

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About 20 percent of range and some accuracy.

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I think you guys are going to like them a lot.  120s were fucking money in A-Stan for us.

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In before someone asks why gyrenes wearing desert instead of green.

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Semper Fi.  May the fuck be upon thine enemy.