How do u aim a mortar?

[BCYL]

I have always wondered about this... Do they just trial-and-error? Like fire one, adjust accordingly, then fire again?

Or is there some kind of aiming mechanism on them?

 

[Keego]

that's where all the geometry geeks go
if you know the distance, then you know the angle...

 

[BCYL]

But then how do they know the distance? Do they have some laser range-finder or something?

 

[silverpig]

I'd think that the operator would already have a good idea of the angle to set it at in order to get a certain range. But there is some guess work involved due to wind etc...

 

[microAmp]

There are also 'Forward Observer' who can gague the distance.

 

[gopunk]

neighbors pissing you off again eh?

 

[BCYL]

<< neighbors pissing you off again eh? >>



haha... I have just been following the news, and they seem to use mortars quite a bit in the war... I was thinking they have to be pretty accurate or else would have been replaced by something else long time ago...

So just wondering how they are aimed...

 

[b0mbrman]

To guess the distance, they've got a lasing tool or they eyeball it (mostly eyeball)

Not sure how mortars work but on grenade launchers, there's a aiming device on the side that you adjust depending on how far the target is. It corrects for elevation...then, just point at the thing you want to kill and you're done

 

[Mday]

mortars are very hard to aim.. that is why we have bazookas...

first you use the basics of projectile motion, then you adjust...

well crap, i wasted my 15000th post on this ...

 

[BCYL]

There seems to be an eye-piece on the side of the mortar... but the soldier has to look down on it (ie. his face would be facing the ground)...

 

[Croton]

ever play scorched earth or worms?

 

[MeanMeosh]

you find the distance using a laser range finder, i would assume. or maybe using satellite maps

 

[WhiteWonder]

what about the wind!

 

[Shaka]

To get the mortar to go a certain distance, you would have to use the correct angle and power to fire the mortar. Angle is easy to do, but how is the mortar propelled?

 

[HamSupLo]

how do you fire mortars without lasers or satellites?

 

[yakko]

I don't. I just kill them all and let God sort it out.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< To get the mortar to go a certain distance, you would have to use the correct angle and power to fire the mortar. Angle is easy to do, but how is the mortar propelled? >>


Again, taking from experience w/grenade launchers...there's no way to alter how much propulsion you get. You just aim up or down with what you've got

 

[tcsenter]

Mortars are not rocket propelled, they are propelled by a one-time charge like artillery. Artillery and related ballistics is a science. A couple links I quickly came up with:

Artillery Basics

Artillery Applications

 

[Spike]

they use laser rangfinders along with adjusments on the side of the actual tube. The way the M1A1 tanks (M1A2 now I think) fire are much cooler. The tanks actually have computers that take wind samples, barometric pressure, humidity, density of the air, wieght of the round and distance to target and compute the exact firing in less than a second, after that you just pull the trigger. Now, if they made a mortar like that.... he he he....

 

[burnedout]

I wasn't an 11C even though I carried the baseplate for an 81mm a couple of times while dismounted.

Here's a reference that will answer all of your questions:

FM 23-90 - Mortars

 

[MadRat]

Which type of mortar did they use - M224, M29A1, M252, M30, or M120? That would give you some idea of what they did. I'm guessing it was the M224 in that type of terrain.

<<The way the M1A1 tanks (M1A2 now I think) fire are much cooler. The tanks actually have computers that take wind samples, barometric pressure, humidity, density of the air, wieght of the round and distance to target and compute the exact firing in less than a second, after that you just pull the trigger. Now, if they made a mortar like that...>>

The Marines are already on it. They have a remote-controlled setup in the works.

 

[burnedout]

Which type of mortar did they use - M224, M29A1, M252, M30, or M120? That would give you some idea of what they did. I'm guessing it was the M224 in that type of terrain.

Yes, I'd also say they (meaning the troops referenced in the article here a few days ago) were firing M224 60 Mike Mike.