ANTOS lightweight mortar (Czech Republic)
The concept of the proposed weapon is simple. By reducing the caliber to the minimum acceptable values and some other ideas, it is proposed to maximally facilitate the mortar, which will allow to transfer it by the forces of the fighters, including without the need to single out a separate calculation. At the same time, the proposed weapon is intended for firing at a range of no more than 1000-1200 m, which is sufficient for hitting targets in most collisions. The project of a similar light mortar from the organization VTU received the name ANTOS.
The main task of the ANTOS project was to maximize the ease of mortar design and reduce its size, aimed at simplifying transportation. By using a few curious ideas, Czech specialists managed to bring the total mortar length to 905 mm. The weight of the weapon, depending on the configuration and composition of the installed additional equipment, does not exceed 5,3 kg. It is proposed to deliver the mortar to the troops in special boxes with additional equipment. The total weight of such a complex does not exceed 19 kg. Thus, a mortar and some ammunition for it can be carried by one fighter. Accordingly, if you instruct the use of a weapon to calculate from two people, the firepower and firing duration increase several times.
Mortars and mines at IDEB-2014
In its general architecture, the ANTOS mortar differs little from other weapons of its class. Weight reduction is achieved by eliminating from the design of some parts that are considered redundant, as well as through the use of lightweight materials. The main elements of the mortar are proposed to be made of aluminum and titanium alloys, as well as plastic. Thus, all parts experiencing relatively large loads are made of metal. Other units are made of plastic, which saves weight without serious loss in functionality.
ANTOS mortar has a curious structure. Unlike other weapons of its class, it is not equipped with a bipod for installation on the ground. A mortar ready for use is a cylindrical barrel, to the breech of which the casing of the firing mechanism is attached. The mechanism itself through the hinge rests on the support plate of a small size. Along the trunk is a long plastic handle. On the outer elements of the mortar provides forabs for the belt. To avoid contamination of the barrel, the barrel is closed with a special removable lid.
With a total length of 905 mm, the new Czech mortar has a barrel length 650 mm caliber 60,7 mm. In order to simplify the design in the development of the project, it was proposed to reduce the pressure in the barrel to the minimum acceptable values. According to the developers, during firing the pressure in the barrel does not exceed 18 MPa. This affected the maximum range of fire, but provided some gain in weight of the barrel and the complexity of its manufacture.
Mortar shooting ANTOS. Photo Vpk.name
ANTOS mortar is made according to a muzzle-loading circuit and has a combined propellant ignition system. Depending on the type of mine used and other factors, the calculation can use the traditional “gravitational” method of shooting, in which the mine, sinking down the trunk, hits the cap with a fixed drummer, after which a shot occurs. It also provides for the possibility of firing a shot when you press the trigger with the offset of the hammer with the combat spring. In this case, before firing, it is necessary to pull the firing mechanism with a lever (placed on both sides of the hull) and, placing the mine in the barrel, pull the trigger located on the side grip.
Next to the cock lever there are fuse-translator switches on both sides of the hull with three possible positions. In the first position, the USM is locked, in the second, fire is allowed with the trigger, the third position allows you to shoot, simply dropping a mine into the barrel.
The new lightweight Czech mortar does not come with bipods. The developers considered that this element does not give any actual advantages, but it seriously complicates and weights the construction. For this reason, the proposed method of shooting is as follows. Having brought the weapon into combat readiness, the mortar should rest the base plate against the ground. The barrel is held by the side grip. Horizontal targeting is done by correctly placing the weapon on the supporting surface. Vertical, in turn, is carried out by tilting the barrel while holding the handle.
As conceived by VTU specialists, the mortar can conduct effective fire without special tables and additional calculations. Pointing weapons in the vertical plane is done with a simple, but effective liquid sight. In the upper thickening of the casing of the barrel, directly above the side grip, there is a liquid sight, the scale of which is marked by distance. When the barrel is tilted, the liquid in the sight flows inside the sight and its level on the scale corresponds to the calculated range of the shot. Such a design of the sight, despite its apparent simplicity, should provide an acceptable range accuracy.
The mortar design and sight are designed for shooting with elevation angles from + 45 'to + 85 °. By combining the angle of elevation and the propelling charge of a mine, you can hit targets in a fairly wide range of distances. Thus, at maximum elevation and shooting a high-explosive fragmentation mine with a “0” charge, the minimum range of the shot is 80 m. When using the most powerful charge, the pressure in the barrel does not exceed 1200 MPa.
For the ANTOS mortar, several mines of 60 mm for various applications have been developed. All presented mines have similar dimensions and design. However, some types of ammunition differ in the design of the head. In addition, for obvious reasons, the structure of the internal aggregates of mines is significantly different. The head of all mines for the ANTOS mortar is designed to use standard NATO fuses. Depending on the tactical need, the mortar can use high-explosive ordnance of standard or increased power, as well as smoke mines with a charge based on red phosphorus.
Mines of various types
A lighting mine was also developed. After a shot, having risen to the required height, this ammunition throws out a parachute and ignites a special pyrotechnic mixture. Slowly going down, such a mine illuminates the surrounding area with a force of up to 250 thousand cd. In addition, the so-called. practical mine designed for training purposes. It has the same dimensions and mass as the combat mines, but is not equipped with a real combat unit. Instead, a signal pyrotechnic composition is used to determine the drop point.
According to reports, the new light mortars ANTOS so far interested only one customer. A number of such weapons and ammunition were supplied to the Czech Special Operations Forces. Information about other contracts is not available. Probably, except for the Czech special forces, no one showed interest in the new development of the VTU. Indeed, the mortar presented last year has specific characteristics that attract the attention of specialists, but do not guarantee the appearance of purchase orders.
An example of such ambiguous prospects for a new project can be considered news, appeared in early July last year. Then it was reported that the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic intends to acquire a number of mortars caliber 81 mm, which are intended for use in the ground forces. It is noteworthy that not new 60-mm ANTOS mortars were selected, but other weapons. According to reports, the characteristics of light mortars were considered insufficient for use in ground forces. Thus, at the moment light mortars of a new type are used only by special operations.
The advantages of the ANTOS mortar include the small size and weight of both the weapon itself and the ammunition for it. Forces of one or two people can transport the mortar and a sufficiently large ammunition for it. This allows different units to have their own mortars that can significantly increase their firepower in the event of a collision with the enemy. Also a positive feature can be considered a fairly wide range of presented ammunition, which allows you to light up the area and find the enemy, and then put a smoke screen or destroy the enemy with a blast wave and shrapnel. An important feature is the speed of preparation of weapons for use. The mortar only needs to be removed from the shoulder, rest against the ground and remove the muzzle cover, and also prepare the ammunition.
Relatively light ammunition does not require a powerful propellant charge, which facilitates ammunition and also reduces the visibility of the mortar during firing. Due to the reduced pressure in the barrel bore, the flash and the cloud of powder gases do not unmask the position as much as in the case of other modern mortars of a larger caliber.
It should be noted that the ANTOS mortar is not without flaws that have not yet allowed it to be widely distributed. The main one is associated with a small caliber. The size of 60-mm mines does not allow to place in it a sufficiently large explosive charge and an acceptable fragmentation shirt. As a result, the power of such ammunition leaves much to be desired. The radius of destruction of targets with splinters hardly exceeds several meters. The shock wave from an explosion also cannot be strong enough to cause appreciable damage.
The desire to facilitate the construction due to the strength of the barrel and the reduction of pressure in it affected the maximum firing range. With a full propelling charge and an optimum angle of elevation, ANTOS sends a mine to 1200 m, which is noticeably less than similar parameters of other systems of a larger caliber. Smaller firing range and the power of mines have already led the Czech Ministry of Defense to prefer the “classic” 81 caliber mm to light mortars.
Nevertheless, it is impossible not to notice that a relatively short firing range is not an unconditional minus of the proposed mortar. ANTOS was designed to equip rifle units with their own light artillery, increasing their firepower. Thus, the maximum range of a shot at the 1200 level completely allows using this weapon for its intended purpose, for hitting targets outside the effective range of shooting small arms.
As you can see, the ANTOS lightweight mortar has both pros and cons, which limit its scope. Nevertheless, the project can be considered generally successful. It was designed to arm units that may have full-fledged mortars, but need the means to increase firepower. In fact, a lightweight mortar is not a replacement for mortars of a larger caliber, but a functional analogue of automatic grenade launchers, also designed to increase the firepower of units. At the same time, the ANTOS mortar is noticeably lighter than any automatic grenade launchers, and its mine carries a greater amount of explosive. Paying for these advantages is a serious loss in the rate of fire.
Currently, ANTOS light mortars developed at VTU are used only by the Czech Special Operations Forces. Other contracts for the supply of such weapons, as far as is known, were not signed. It can be assumed that the serial mortars received by the special forces found their place in the nomenclature of armaments and perform their main task: not to adversely affect the overall weight of the equipment of the fighters, but to increase the firepower of the units.
On the materials of the sites:
http://vtusp.cz/
http://armyrecognition.com/
http://vpk.name/
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