120 Krh/40 | |
---|---|
Type | Heavy mortar |
Place of origin | Finland |
Service history | |
In service | 1940–present |
Used by |
Finnish army Swedish army Estonian army German army Latvian army Lithuanian army Portuguese army |
Wars | Continuation War |
Production history | |
Designer | Tampella |
Manufacturer | Tampella |
No. built | 596 by Tampella [1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 260 kilograms (570 lb) |
Barrel length | 189cm |
Caliber | 120 millimetres (12 cm) |
Rate of fire | up to 20 shots/minute [1] |
Muzzle velocity | 116–290 m/s [1] |
Maximum firing range | 7,200 metres (23,600 ft) |
120 Krh/40 is a 120 mm mortar developed by the Finnish company Tampella (now Patria Vammas).
The 120 Krh/40 first entered service in 1940 after being ordered the previous year by Finland. It was exported to Sweden between 1941 and 1944 and later produced under license there. A total of 219 were exported by Tampella. [1] The Swedish military calls them 12 cm granatkastare m/41 and they have continued to serve as the standard heavy mortar of the Swedish Army. In 1956, their base-plates were replaced by Swedish-manufactured Hotchkiss- Brandt M-56 baseplates. [2] As of 2016 [update], 165 m/41D are still in service in the Estonian Land Forces [3] and 22 are held by the Lithuanian Armed Forces. [4]
They got a major increase in lethality when the STRIX top attack anti armour round was introduced in the 1990s; it is a smart weapon that homes in on the IR signature of armoured vehicles.
Media related to 120 Krh 40 at Wikimedia Commons