M-1601

The 121mm M-1601 is the main heavy mortar of the Firehelper Army. It is a long range high angle indirect fire weapon that is towed by a APC or IFV.

Development

The M-1601 was designed by Firehelper Arms Ltd. during the isolationist period. The weapon was influenced by soviet and american design. It was contracted for the Firehelper Army in 1991 and production began in 1995. It is the main Heavy mortar of the Firehelper Army.

Design

The barrel is made of a light Titanium alloy and is lined with Chromium. This lightens the barrel and allows it to be slightly larger than the French counterpart with less weight. It has a maximum range of 9-11 km putting it in the Heavy mortar category of the Firehelper Army. It also has an optional Sub-Caliber insert that allows it to fire 60 and 61mm shells and can also fire specifically designed rocket assisted shells.

Crew

The M-1601 requires eight men to man it. This includes but is not limited to 2 ammunition bearers, 3 gunners, 1 aimer, 1 commander, and one guard.

Ammunition

The M-1601 has a bore of 121mm which is 1 mm larger that NATO counterparts. This allows the mortar to use any standard 120mm round when it runs out of ammunition. However it does not allow the use of captured ammunition in 120 mm mortars. The ammo types are:

• HE- For lightly armoured targets
• White or Red Phosphorous- Incendiary or signaling device.
• Illumination- proves a bright light for 30 seconds
• Training- Dummy round
• Infrared Illuminator- Provides light for Infrared detection devices.

Fuses

The shells have several types of fuses including:

• Proximity
• point Detonation
• Near Surface
• Impact
• Delay