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| Light mortar 120 mm M74 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin | Yugoslavia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1981–present |
| Used by | see operators |
| Wars | Salvadoran Civil War Yugoslav Wars |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Military Technical Institute |
| Manufacturer | PPT Namenska |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 105 kg in firing position 219 kg in transport |
| Crew | 5 |
| Caliber | 120 millimetres (4.7 in) |
| Rate of fire | 12 rpm for M74 |
| Effective firing range | 6400m for M74 |
| Feed system | manual |
The M74 mortar is designed by Military Technical Institute in Yugoslavia. It is smooth bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for long-range indirect fire support. Today they are produced by Serbian company PPT Namenska and BNT from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Description
This mortar can be deployed as infantry support for destruction of personnel and enemy firing positions, for opening routes through barbed wire obstacles and mine fields, for demolition of fortified objects, for destructing infrastructure elements, illumination and deploying smoke screen. The M74 model when disassembled could be carried by 3 soldiers thus having unique capabilities regarding transport in area with obstacles or in urban area compared with more heavier mortars. M74 provides 12 rds per minute rate of fire and it is intended to be used to deliver 15-20 mines before moving to another position. Since it is very light regarding its caliber it can be easily airdropped and parachuted to firing position. It uses NSB-4B sight for firing. Base-plate of M74 mortar is triangle shaped.
Specifications
| Maximum range: | 6,400 metres (21,000 ft) |
| Minimum range: | 250 metres (820 ft) |
| Weight: | 105.0 kilograms (231.5 lb) without ammunition |
| 207.0 kilograms (456.4 lb) when mounted on trailer | |
| Rate of fire: | 12 rounds/min |
| Crew: | 4+1 |
Operators
Current operators
Former operators
Artsakh − Seized by Azerbaijan after the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh
Yugoslavia
See also
References
- "Yugoslavian mortars - List of mortars developed in Yugoslavia".
- "BNT - BNT military production". Archived from the original on 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
- http://www.vti.mod.gov.rs/index.php?view=actuality&type=reference&category=1&id=97
- "POTD: The M74 Mortar -". The Firearm Blog. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (23 March 2021). "Tracking Arms Transfers By The UAE, Russia, Jordan And Egypt To The Libyan National Army Since 2014". Oryx Blog.
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. Vol. 116. Routlegde. p. 134. ISBN 9781857438352.
- The Military Balance 2016, p. 138.
- Mitzer, Stijin; Oliemans, Joost. "Documenting Equipment Losses During The September 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict". Oryx. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
External links
- "МИНОБАЦАЧИ 120 mm М74 И М75" [120 mm M74 and M75 Mortars] (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 18 February 2009.
