Artillery / Mortars / W87

W87

General Facts

  • TYPE
    Mortar

  • ORIGIN
    China

  • NICKNAMES
    PP87 (Chinese military designation for W87)

  • DESIGNED
    Early 1980's

  • DESIGNER
    Xinshidai

  • PRODUCTION
    1980's - present

  • PRODUCERS
    China - Norinco

  • QUANTITY
    Unknown

  • UNIT COST
    Unknown

  • CHARACTERISTICS
    Good range
    Limited weight
    Limited rate of fire

Introduction

The W87 is a mortar of Chinese origin. It was developed to replace the Type 53 and Type 67 82mm mortars in Chinese service. It is the first Chinese mortar in 81mm and is widely used by Chinese forces.

Layout

The W87 is an improved version of the Type 67 mortar. Its main novelty is the recoil buffer that is wrapped around the barrel. A conventional bipod and triangular baseplate are fitted. It fires 81mm mortar round of Chinese design, but NATO ammunition can also be used. Based on the same design the W84 is available for 82mm Soviet rounds and as the long range W91 which features a longer barrel.

Firepower

The W87 fires 81mm shells out to 5.6 km, or even 6 km with special ammunition. The W84 fires standard 82mm shells out to 4.7 km and 5.7 km with special ammunition. The maximum rate of fire of both models is 20 rpm. The W91 long range model has a maximum range of 8 km with a new type of bomb and has a maximum rate of fire of over 25 rpm.

Mobility

The W87 is slightly heavier than the Type 67 mortar it was to replace, but is still man portable.

Users

The W87 is the standard mortar of the Chinese forces. It has also been exported to various nations in both 81mm and 82mm.

Variants

W87

The W87 is a mortar of conventional design and the first Chinese mortar to be chambered in 81mm. The W91 is a long range model based on the W87. The W91 has a longer barrel and longer recoil buffer around the barrel. Instead of a triangular baseplate a round baseplate is used.

TypeMortar
Crew?
Ordnance81mm smoothbore mortar, 1.4 m tube
Elevation+45 to +85°
Traverse4° left and right
Rate of fire20 rpm (max)
Range120 m to 5.6 km (standard rounds), 6 km (special rounds
CarriageNone
Weight39.7 kg
Length?
Width?
Height?
Towing vehicle-
Speed-
Remarks-
TypeMortar
Crew?
Ordnance81mm smoothbore mortar, 1.65 m tube
Elevation+45 to +85°
Traverse4° left and right
Rate of fire>25 rpm (max)
Range8 km (special rounds)
CarriageNone
Weight65 kg
Length?
Width?
Height?
Towing vehicle-
Speed-
Remarks-

W84

The W84 is similar to the W87 in design, but has a 82mm diameter barrel in order to fire 82mm Soviet rounds. The W84 can be distinguished from the W87 by its circular baseplate with pieces cut out to reduce weight. It is possible that the W84 was developed first and that the W87 was developed for export. When the Chinese decided to adopt the 81mm standard the roles reversed.

  • Specifications:
  • W84
TypeMortar
Crew?
Ordnance82mm smoothbore mortar, 1.4 m tube
Elevation+45 to +85°
Traverse3° left and right
Rate of fire20 rpm (max)
Range4.660 km (standard rounds), 5.7 km (special rounds)
CarriageNone
Weight38.5 kg
Length?
Width?
Height?
Towing vehicle-
Speed-
Remarks-

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