troung

Army loses bureaucratic mortar skirmish
Must give up 60mm weapon to buy launchers By David Pugliese

The Ottawa Citizen


Friday, July 04, 2008


Canada's army will get rid of its smaller mortars starting next year after losing a bureaucratic battle with Treasury Board, which required the military to dump one type of weapon before it could buy a new one.

Although phasing the mortars out of service won't save money, the army was told by government beancounters that if it wanted to spend $90 million on a new automatic grenade launcher, it had to get rid of a similar weapon, according to defence insiders. That weapon is the venerable 60mm mortar, which has been in the army's inventory since the Second World War.

The problem, say some officers, is that it's doubtful the automatic grenade launcher, which fires its explosive projectiles directly at its target, can be used as effectively as a mortar that lobs its shells down on the enemy in a high arc. That allows mortars to be used against individuals who could be taking cover behind walls or in trenches, or snipers hiding on rooftops.

Military officials have, in the past, acknowledged that some troops aren't happy they will be required to give up their 60mm mortars. They are seen as more easy to transport than the bulkier tripod-mounted grenade launchers. In the hands of a skilled soldier, mortars can also be used to bring down devastating fire on the enemy. They are also used to fire illumination flares and smoke grenades to provide cover for troops.

While the issue may seem like a internal bureaucratic dispute, some officers say the decision removes an important piece of equipment that could save the lives of Canadian soldiers.

Pat Stogran, a retired colonel who led the first Canadian mission to Afghanistan, echoed what others in the defence community are saying about the decision; the mortar and the automatic grenade launcher are two entirely different pieces of equipment that perform different roles. Each is valuable in its own right, he added.

"The 40mm grenade launcher does not fire indirect (at the enemy) which is so useful on the battlefield," he explained. "You have to have the mortars in your inventory. It's about having a variety of equipment to deal with situations as they arise."

Mr. Stogran called the 60mm mortar a "brilliant piece of kit."

Another senior officer in the army, who asked not to be named, said his unit sees the mortars as so valuable that it will try to convince headquarters to keep a number of them in the inventory.

Keeping the mortars in the inventory would not cost that much -- about several million dollars a year, according to supporters of the weapon.

Military officials said Treasury Board representatives were worried that the army had too many different types of equipment and the central agency didn't want to spend money on maintaining the mortars.

The army's plan now is to buy what it is calling a Close Area Suppression Weapon, or CASW.

That program will see the purchase of 304 tripod-mounted automatic grenade launchers, with the first to be fielded in early 2010.

The army is hoping that technological improvements in the type of ammunition used as well as computer targeting systems will allow the grenade launchers to be used like mortars if need be.

Other militaries do not use automatic grenade launchers in the role of mortars, so the Canadian army will be breaking new ground if the program is successful, according to soldiers.

The army declined to provide a specialist in mortars to discuss the use of the weapons. Officials with the Close Area Suppression Weapon program declined to be interviewed , as they have on a number of occasions.

But in an e-mail, the army said the grenade launchers will soon take over the role of the mortars. "As the 60mm mortar is nearing the end of its life-cycle, it doesn't make sense to keep it while the CASW will be meeting the same requirement," the e-mail said.

"The phasing out will neither save nor cost more money as the current funding will be spent on the improved CASW and its ammunition."

Units will have to give up their 60mm mortars starting at the end of 2009 or early 2010.

Not everyone in the army believes the mortars are indispensable.

Other soldiers say they aren't used that often in Afghanistan, a signal that the weapon's time has come and gone.

But Mr. Stogran said older equipment, once seen as outdated, is now considered essential as different situations arise on modern battlefields.

He pointed out that the army had been getting rid of its .50-calibre machine-guns only to discover that such equipment was highly useful in Afghanistan.

The U.S. military discovered the same thing. It has contracted armament firms to produce new versions of the gun first fielded in the late 1930s.

The army plans to keep larger 81mm mortars in its inventory.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

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sourkraut115

Doesn't sound like a bright idea. Light mortars are unappreciated in training, but are highly useful to give close, responsive indirect fire support to infantry units, not a role that I would really see an automatic grenade launcher filling. The variety of ammunition types, especially illumination and smoke, available to the 60mm is also very important to the rifle company commander. Unless Canadian battalions plan to increase the size of their 81mm platoons, which will soon be overtasked, I would not want to support this sort of exchange. Often, the dumber and more old-fashioned the weapon the better.

Parihaka

Surely this is the reason to have a minister of Defence.

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Ray

We have both the platoon Mortars as also the AGL.

The task and effect of each of the above mentioned equipment is not the same.

Therefore, should the platoon Mortars go, the Pl and Coy Cdrs will surely not be in a comfortable position. It is ideal to cover dead ground that the Bn Mors cannot cover due to safety restrictions.

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Officer of Engineers

Land Force had to give up the 60s if it ever wants a chance at the AMOS.

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troung

The CF is getting the AMOS?

Officer of Engineers

Major push is being done. I would be surprised if we don't get it.

Correct that, it has much chance as the LAV-105 when we 1st thought of it.

Ray

What is AMOS?

braindead

AMOS ? Really ? I thought that NEMO was offered . AMOS is supposed to be expensive as hell.

AMOS is automatic double-barreled Swedish/Finnish mortar turret
Patria tuotetietojärjestelmä
NEMO is single barrel unmanned turret of the same makers
Patria tuotetietojärjestelmä

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Ray

Thanks braindead.