The Mortar (weapon) reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Mortar (weapon)

A mortar is a military weapon consisting of a tube into which is dropped a mortar shell onto a firing pin resulting in the detonation of the propellant and the firing of the shell in a high ballistic trajectory. Modern mortars consists of a simple lightweight tube, supported by a bipod and resting on a fairly large base plate. Early mortars, such as those used in the American Civil War, were very short, very thick cannons, and some required transport on railroad cars.

Modern mortars up to and including 81mm or 3in diameter are portable by infantry and can be used as a small-scale, embedded substitute for artillery.

Mortars range in size from 51mm hand carried by a single soldier (no bipod, no base plate) to 240mm breech loading weapons mounted on tracked self-propelled lightly armored vehicles.

See also:

• Military technology and equipment
• Chemical mortar battalions of the United States Army
• M224 Mortar
• M252 Mortar

External links

• Defense Update: Modern Mobile 120mm Mortars
• Defense Update: Advanced Mortar Munitions

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