General Facts
- TYPE
Mortar - ORIGIN
Israel - NICKNAMES
M120 (US designation for K6) - DESIGNED
1960's (M65)
1980's (K6) - DESIGNER
Soltam - PRODUCTION
1960's - present - PRODUCERS
Iran - DIO
Israel - Soltam - QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Good range
Heavy
Limited rate of fire
Introduction
The M65 is a 120mm mortar of Israeli origin. It was developed in the early 1960's and is based on the Finnish Tampella design. The M65 serves as the baseline Soltam mortar from which both light weight and long range models were derived. The latest versions remain in production.
Layout
The Soltam 120mm mortars are of a conventional design. They are able to traverse a full 360 degrees on their base plate and are supported by an adjustable bipod. All versions are muzzle loaded and drop fired.
Firepower
The original M65 has a range of 6.5 km. The current production K6 light weight mortar has a range of 7.2 km when firing unassisted rounds. The latest long range mortar has a range of 9.5 km. The maximum rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute with 5 rounds per minute being standard.
Mobility
The Soltam 120mm mortars are fielded with a two wheel carriage. The light models are equipped with a lighter carriage on which several rounds can be carried as well. The latest heavy mortar has the carriage integrated in the bipod. The carriage allows the mortars to be towed by infantry over short distances, during travel they are towed by a light vehicle.
Users
The main user of the original M65 is Israel. Soltam 120mm mortars are also widely exported. The K6 light mortar was adopted by the USA as the standard 120mm mortar. Iran produces an unlicenced copy of the M65 mortar.
Standard
The Soltam M65 is the first of the Soltam 120mm mortars and is based on the Finnish Tampella 120mm mortar. The M65 serves as the baseline Soltam mortar from which both the light weight and long range families were derived. Since the latest K6 light mortar is more capable and lighter it is no longer in production.
- Specifications:
- M65
Type | Mortar |
---|---|
Crew | 6 |
Ordnance | 120mm smoothbore mortar, 1.95 m tube |
Elevation | +43 to +85° |
Traverse | 360° on baseplate |
Rate of fire | ? |
---|---|
Range | 400 m to 6.5 km |
Carriage | Separate 2 wheel carriage |
Weight | 231 kg (firing position), 351 kg (travelling) |
Length | ? |
Width | ? |
---|---|
Height | ? |
Towing vehicle | 4x4 light truck |
Speed | ? |
Remarks | - |
Light weight
The K5 is the first light weight version of the M65. It features a lighter and shorter barrel and much lighter base plate. The two wheel carraige is also lighter and holds several rounds of ammunition. The improved K6 replaced the K5. The K6 is similar to the K5 except for the barrel. The slightly heavier barrel improves the performance from below that of the M65 to well beyond it. The K6 also exists in a modified version with different bipod for mounting on a turntable in a vehicle.
Type | Mortar |
---|---|
Crew | 4 - 5 |
Ordnance | 120mm smoothbore mortar, 1.75 m tube |
Elevation | +43 to +85° |
Traverse | 360° on baseplate |
Rate of fire | ? |
---|---|
Range | 250 m to 6.25 km |
Carriage | Separate 2 wheel carriage |
Weight | 140 kg (firing position), 266 kg (travelling) |
Length | ? |
Width | ? |
---|---|
Height | ? |
Towing vehicle | 4x4 light truck |
Speed | ? |
Remarks | - |
Type | Mortar |
---|---|
Crew | 4 - 5 |
Ordnance | 120mm smoothbore mortar, 1.75 m tube |
Elevation | +40 to +85° |
Traverse | 360° on baseplate |
Rate of fire | ? |
---|---|
Range | 180 m to 7.2 km |
Carriage | Separate 2 wheel carriage with 6 rounds of ammunition |
Weight | 144 kg (firing position), 418 kg (travelling) |
Length | ? |
Width | ? |
---|---|
Height | ? |
Towing vehicle | 4x4 light truck |
Speed | ? |
Remarks | - |
Long range
The A4 was the first Soltam 120mm long range mortar. The A4 is very similar to the M65, but has a heavier and longer barrel. It was supplemented and eventually replaced by the improved A7. The A7 has the carriage integrated into the bipod. The wheels remain attached to the bipod in the firing position, but the mortar does not rest on them. The A7A2 is an updated version.
Type | Mortar |
---|---|
Crew | ? |
Ordnance | 120mm smoothbore mortar |
Elevation | +43 to +85° |
Traverse | 360° using wheels |
Rate of fire | ? |
---|---|
Range | ? to 8.5 km |
Carriage | Separate 2 wheel carriage |
Weight | 245 kg (firing position), 371 kg (travelling) |
Length | ? |
Width | ? |
---|---|
Height | ? |
Towing vehicle | 4x4 light truck |
Speed | ? |
Remarks | - |
Type | Mortar |
---|---|
Crew | 4 - 5 |
Ordnance | 120mm smoothbore mortar, 2.154 m tube |
Elevation | +43 to +85° |
Traverse | 360° on baseplate |
Rate of fire | ? |
---|---|
Range | 400 m to 9.5 km |
Carriage | Fixed 2 wheel carriage, doubling as bipod in firing position |
Weight | 387 kg (firing position), 387 kg (travelling) |
Length | ? |
Width | 1.52 m (travelling) |
---|---|
Height | ? |
Towing vehicle | 4x4 light truck |
Speed | ? |
Remarks | - |
Type | Mortar |
---|---|
Crew | 4 - 5 |
Ordnance | 120mm smoothbore mortar, 2.16 m tube |
Elevation | +40 to +85° |
Traverse | 360° on baseplate |
Rate of fire | ? |
---|---|
Range | 200 m to 9.5 km |
Carriage | Fixed 2 wheel carriage, doubling as bipod in firing position |
Weight | 419 kg (firing position), 475 kg (travelling) |
Length | 2.92 m (travelling) |
Width | 1.5 m (travelling) |
---|---|
Height | ? |
Towing vehicle | 4x4 light truck |
Speed | ? |
Remarks | - |