Mortars are becoming more dangerous and "smarter". Yesterday, October 30, the portal janes.com He reported that Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland (SBDS) has announced the completion of the development of the "smart" THOR artillery mine.
"The development of the 120 mm THOR caliber has been completed and the first qualification batches have been produced; currently, we and our partners are focused on optimizing the production process. Meanwhile, the THOR 120 mm was presented to various potential customers with an emphasis on deployment with mobile mortar systems," the SBDS press service reported.
THOR Artillery Mine
Image source: saab.com
The THOR artillery mine was first presented at the DSEI 2017 exhibition. The developers call THOR a "new generation" of mortar ammunition and put it on a par with 155-mm artillery shells in terms of power. According to them, a standard mine in an explosion scatters up about 50% of the fragments, which reduces its effectiveness. At the same time, THOR, thanks to the cylindrical shape of the main part, directs fragments 20% more efficiently and is 250% more deadly compared to standard mines of its class.
THOR mines are available in various modifications, which differ from each other in the warhead and the type of striking elements. In the basic version, a 120 mm mortar shell weighs 15 kg, contains 3.4 kg of BXN-110 explosive and 4250 steel balls. The maximum range of the shot is 8.5 km.
In addition, SBDS indicates that with the help of THOR mines, the side effect of the application can be significantly reduced. According to the developers, the new mines have so-called controlled safety zones, which makes firing from a mortar more accurate and predictable.
