Ordnance L9A1 51mm

History

The L9A1 51mm Light Mortar was a line-class portable mortar used by the British Army from the late 1980s to 2007.

The 51mm mortar replaced the old WWII 2" mortar in the late 1980s. It will be phased out by using the L17A2 40mm Underground Grenade Launcher (UGL) mounted on the L85A2 service rifle. However, operational experience led to the decision to replace it with a 60mm mortar.

Hirtenberger AG's M6-895 60mm mortar was procured in 2007 as an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) to replace the current 51mm mortar.

Specification

BASIC

Years in Service

1988

Origins

UK

Categories

Platoon Light Mortar

Manufacturer

State Factory - UK

Operators

UK

Roles

Fire Support

Ability to suppress enemy elements at a distance using direct or indirect fire.

Dimensions and Weight

Overall Length

700mm

27. 56 inches

Barrel length

700mm

27. 56 inches

Cured weight

13.82 lbs

6.27 kg

Attractions

Integration.

Action

Manual operation

Cartridges and Paper Feeds

Caliber*

51mm

Circle/Feed

Single shot; reusable launch tube.

POWER

Maximum efficiency. Arrived

2,460 feet

(750m | 820m)

Rate of fire

8

Number of revolutions

VARIANTS

L9 - name of the base series L9A1 - official name