The 81-mm mortar is an indirect fire support weapon used primarily by the artillery. A mortar crew can carry the weapon and some ammunition by backpack over short distances. A tactical advantage of the mortar is its high trajectory, which allows it to be sited behind high cover, to engage targets behind high cover, and to provide overhead support to friendly troops. The weapon can fire 20 rounds per minute for short periods and 15 rounds a minute for sustained periods. It can be used against targets between 200 and 4500 metres away. The mortar can fire high explosive rounds with a high degree of fragmentation in both ground and air bursts. It can also use red phosphorus rounds that produce a smoke screen and can also be used for signalling. Troops can also use illuminating rounds to light up the battlefield or for signalling.
Armament:
Ammunition: High Explosive, Illumination, and Smoke
Caliber: 81.4 mm
Rate of fire: 20 rounds per minute for short periods
15 rounds per minute for a sustained period
Specifications:
Weight: 36.3 kg
Range: From 200 m to 4,500 m (depending on type of ammunition used)
Mortar sight unit: C2A1
Canadian Forces
81-mm Mortar