page_title: Mortar (weapon)
section_title: Mortar carrier
hierarchical_section_title: Mortar (weapon) / Types / Mortar carrier
caption_attribution_description: M113-based mortar carrier, demonstrated at Israel's 60th Independence Day exhibition in Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel.
context_page_description: A mortar is usually a simple, lightweight, man-portable, muzzle-loaded weapon, consisting of a smooth-bore metal tube fixed to a base plate with a lightweight bipod mount and a sight. They launch explosive shells in high-arcing ballistic trajectories. Mortars are typically used as indirect fire weapons for close fire support with a variety of ammunition.
context_section_description: Mortar carriers are vehicles which carry a mortar as a primary weapon. Numerous vehicles have been used to mount mortars, from improvised civilian trucks used by insurgents, to modified Infantry fighting vehicles, such as variants of the M3 half track and M113 armored personnel carrier, to vehicles specifically intended to carry a mortar. Simpler vehicles carry a standard infantry mortar while in more complex vehicles the mortar is fully integrated into the vehicle and cannot be dismounted from the vehicle. Mortar carriers cannot be fired while on the move and some must be dismounted to fire.
  There are numerous AFVs and even MBTs that can be equipped with a mortar, either outside or inside of the cabin. The Israeli Merkava tank uses a 60 mm mortar as a secondary armament. The Russian army uses the 2S4 Tyulpan (Tulip) self-propelled 240 mm heavy mortar which is one of the largest mortars in current use.
caption: Interior of an IDF M113 mortar carrier showing the placement of an 81 mm mortar
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