Alakran finds first customer

[Zarvan]

The mortar shown deployed in the firing position with its square baseplate lowered. Source: Everis/NTGS

Spain's Everis Aerospace and Defense and New Technologies Global Systems (NTGS) have been awarded their first production contract for the Alakran 120 mm light mortar carrier (LMC).

Work on the platform began in 2010 as a private venture with the aim of developing a system that could provide rapid reaction-type units with a highly mobile mortar system than can quickly come into action, conduct a fire mission, and then redeploy before counter-fire can be made.

The final development version has the internal company designation of the V4 and following qualification trials in Spain in mid-2015 was tested by an export customer for 12 months.

The mortar system has been integrated onto a number of flight wheeled platforms, including the Land Rover Defender. (Everis/NTGS)

In mid-December 2016 a contract was signed for 100 Alakran 120 mm LMC for an unidentified export customer and these will be integrated onto a Toyota Land Cruiser 70.

Production is set to start in the second quarter of 2017 and ramp up to 15 units per month.

The company has two production-standard 120 mm LMCs - designated the V5 - that are used for trials in Spain and overseas.

The system can be integrated onto a wide range of wheeled platforms that have the ability to carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes without any need for structural reinforcements. For trial purposes the Alakran 120 mm LMC system has so far been integrated onto a Jeep J8, Land Rover Defender, and the Agrale Marrua.

To lay the mortar onto targets an electro-mechanical system is used, with a manual backup in case of power failure. The traverse arc of the mortar is 2,130 mils, while the elevation is from 800 to 1,600 mils.

When travelling the mortar is stowed in the horizontal position and when required for action is traversed through the rear until a large square baseplate is in touch with the ground.

The platform is fitted with a computerised fire-control system (FCS) that has a flat panel display (FPD) on which potential targets are shown, with this information typically being supplied by a forward observer.

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