Adopted 40 years ago, the 120-mm mortar "Sani"is still too early to retire: after modernization, increased mobility and accuracy of fire. The mortar with a rate of fire of up to 15 rounds per minute proved to be indispensable in the mountains and passed combat testing in Syria.
According to the publication "Army Standard", along with the classic set of ammunition 120-mm mortar 2S12A received a complex of guided weapons KM-8 "Edge". These are high-explosive fragmentation mines with a 9E430 laser-type homing head. This allows you to hit stationary and moving targets at a distance of 9,000 meters at any time of the day and without targeting.
If the enemy objects are located at a distance of up to 300 meters from each other, then a single firing angle is applied, and the mine does not need to change the settings. At the same time, the "Edge" provides high accuracy: a direct hit on the target of 6 out of 8 minutes.
The Sani mortar transport system has also been upgraded. The most important innovation is the chassis, if earlier it was two-axle, now it is three-axle from the Ural-4320 with a double armored cabin and an armored capsule in the body. These measures have increased the degree of protection of personnel and ammunition reserves. And the time of transferring the mortar from the marching position to the combat position and back has decreased from 20 to 3 minutes.
In addition, the mortar can be transported by cars, armored vehicles and even on horseback, for which the barrel, plate and carriage are separated from each other, and then reassembled.
Nikolay Grishchenko
