Alvis/BAE FV-432 Mortar Carrier

     Notes:  This is a version of the standard FV-432 serving as a carrier for an 81mm mortar.  The current FV-432 Mortar Carriers in service are based on the Mk 2 version, though of course they were originally based on Mk 1 versions and later the Mk 1/1 upgrades.  There is some talk of applying most of the Mk 3 Bulldog improvements, but a final decision by the British MoD has yet to be reached as of the time I write this (late June 2011).  Other than the British, the Indians bought six FV-432 Mortar Carriers, and the British Army keeps some of them on NATO training bases in Canada for use when their troops go on training exercises there.  Currently, a replacement for the FV-432 Mortar Carrier does not appear on the horizon, and it will undoubtedly soldier on for some time, just like the APC version of the FV-432, and it may persist for a while after even the APC version of the FV-432 leaves service.

 

The FV-432 Mk 1 and Mk 2 Mortar Carriers, and the FV-432 Mortar Carrier in General

     Externally, the FV-432 Mortar Carrier appears virtually identical to the standard FV-432, though the baseplate and bipod for ground-mounting the L-16 mortar and a bag containing aiming stakes strapped to the left side of the vehicle hear the rear may tip one off.  The driver’s compartment is in the same place on the left front deck, with three vision blocks to the front, and the middle vision block removable and replaceable by a night vision block.  (like the M-113, the FV-432 driver controls his vehicle largely using laterals for steering and braking.) The commander’s cupola is likewise in the same place, behind and slightly to the right of the driver.  The cupola usually has a cupola for a light weapon (it’s not stressed for the sort of weapon which would require an NHT). Though it is not as common as on FV-432 APCs, the commander’s cupola of the FV-432 Mortar Carrier may be surrounded by AV2 gun shields. The FV-432 Mortar Carrier has a cluster of three smoke grenade launchers on each side of the vehicle at the top of the glacis.

     The rear area of the FV-432 Mortar Carrier is, of course, heavily modified for its mission.  Though there are no troop seats and merely three seats for the remaining members of the crew, the normally-roomy interior of the FV-432, gives the crew a little extra working room when manning the mortar and space for an astounding amount of ammunition for the mortar, as well as a little room for troop equipment.  Like most such vehicles, the mortar sits on a special baseplate built into the floor of the vehicle, and a special “bipod” designed specifically for vehicular use.  The sight comes with an extension to allow it to see over the top of the vehicle.  Unlike most such mortar carriers, the L-16 mortar in the rear has a full 360 degrees of traverse – though this can be useful in a fast-changing tactical situation or if the mortar vehicle finds itself lined up wrong when it reaches a firing position, the optimum position for firing remains having the mortar fire over the rear of the vehicle.  The normal two-piece circular hatch on the rear deck is replaced by a longer rectangular two-piece hatch on the FV-432 Mortar carrier; the hatchway in general offers more open area when the hatches are open, giving the crew more room to work with the mortar.  The large rear door with a vision block in it remains.  The FV-432 also has the signature feature of the FV-430 series – the large external NBC pack on the right side of the vehicle, and the associated collective NBC system for the crew.  Starting in the mid-1980s, FV-432 Mortar Carrier crews were more and more often issued hand-held mortar fire control computers, and these are part of the cost of the Mk 2 (and Mk 3) versions in the stats below.

     The Mk 1 version of the FV-432 Mortar Carrier uses a Rolls-Royce B-Series 240-horsepower gasoline engine, coupled to a GM TX-200 4A semiautomatic transmission.  Though this is not a fully-integrated powerpack, the engine and transmission are mounted on a common sub-frame and can be removed in one piece. As with the FV-432 Mk 1, the FV-432  Mk 1 Mortar Carrier was designed with amphibious capability, but this requires that a large flotation screen be erected, a trim vane extended, and a bilge pump turned on – an operation that could take up to a half an hour with inexperienced troops.  Due to the heavier weight of the FV-432 Mortar Carrier, swimming is even more dicey, and less recommended than swimming the FV-432 APC.  A minor upgrade, the Mk 1/1 version, primarily dealt with small automotive and electrical problems.  The Mk 2 version had a new Rolls-Royce K60 multifuel engine, and a few other mechanical and electrical improvements. The Peak Engineering light turret that was applied to some Mk 2 FV-432 APCs was not applied to any FV-432 Mortar Carriers.  The short-lived Mk 2/1 modification, which moved the NBC pack inside the FV-432 APCs walls, was never applied to the FV-432 Mortar Carrier.

 

The FV-432 Mk 3 Mortar Carrier – a Possible Upgrade

     As stated above, it is still a question among the British MoD as to whether any Mk 3 upgrades will be applied to the FV-432 Mortar carrier.  The Mk 3 FV-432 upgrade primarily addressed protection and mobility issues, but tactical doctrine calls for mortar carriers to be several kilometers behind/away from the main fight.  The Mk 3’s integrated power pack, along with some other mechanical and electrical improvements, do make maintenance much easier, and that is a motivation for applying at least that part of the upgrade.  And of course, enemy forces, especially irregular groups like insurgents, can appear literally anywhere, so this is a motivation for protection upgrades.  The stats below, therefore, reflect the maximum amount of projected Mk 3 upgrades for the FV-432 Mortar Carrier being applied.

     The engine used in the upgrade is a 260-horsepower diesel engine, along with a fully automatic transmission.  The laterals for vehicle control are gone, replaced by a steering yoke and a standard gas pedal and brake pedal. The FV-432 Mk 3 Mortar Carrier has an air conditioning unit, though it is modular and may be removed if it is deemed unnecessary, such as if a war occurs in cold climates, freeing up some interior space. Other improvements include a beefed-up suspension for the crew and troops seats.  The FV-432 Mk 3 Mortar Carrier is generally equipped with a GPS unit as well as an extra long-range radio.  The smoke grenade clusters have increased from three to four.

     Externally, the upgrade is rather stunning, with appliqué aluminum armor applied to basically every surface of the FV-432, especially the hull floor; on the glacis and hull sides, this appliqué is armor spaced by stand-off bars.  The FV-432 upgrade also includes lugs for ERA on the glacis and hull sides. Ahead of the driver and commander’s station is a short, wire-cutting mast to keep low-hanging wires from taking the driver’s and/or commander’s heads off.  The commander’s position is equipped with a light weapon, as on other FV-432 Mortar Carriers; however, this weapon is standard.  Also standard are the AV2 gun shields for the commander’s cupola.  The FV-432 Mk 3 Mortar carrier is not slated to receive the RCWS station (any iteration of it). In the lower hull, the British have taken a page out of the Russian T-90s tech manual and installed a mine/IED electrical jammer; when the jammer encounters a magnetic mine or one with an electrical fuze within 10 meters, the jammer will disable the fuze from operating on a roll 14 or better on a d20.  Note that the mine must be in a 20-degree radius of the front of the carrier.  The jammer device is also not a mine detector – if the device does not detonate the mine and the mine does not actually go off, the FV-432 Mortar Carrier’s crew will not know that the mine is there.

     It should be noted that the Mk 3 Mortar Carrier is not amphibious.

 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: In the Twilight 2000 timeline, the Mk 3 does not exist in any form. FV-432 Mortar Carriers and FDCs that were formerly used for training purposes in Canada were “impounded” for use by the Canadians.  The Indians never received any FV-432 Mortar Carriers in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

FV-432 Mk 1 Mortar Carrier

$84,298

G, A

630 kg

16.4 tons

5

12

Passive IR (D)

Enclosed

FV-432 Mk 2 Mortar Carrier

$106,298

D, G, A

630 kg

16.4 tons

5

12

Passive IR (D)

Shielded

FV-432 Mk 3 Mortar Carrier

$110,641

D, A

580 kg

17.5 tons

5

12

Passive IR (D)

Shielded

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

FV-432 Mk 1 Mortar Carrier

106/73

26/16/4

454

143

Stnd

T2

HF6  HS4  HR3

FV-432 Mk 2 Mortar Carrier

106/73

26/16/4

454

107

Stnd

T2

HF6  HS4  HR3

FV-432 Mk 3 Mortar Carrier

103/70

25/15

454

133

Stnd

T3

HF8Sp  HS6Sp  HR4*

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

FV-432 Mortar Carrier

None

None

81mm L-16 mortar, L-7A2 (C)

160x81mm, 1600x7.62mm

*Hull floor AV is 4.

 

BAE Simba Mortar Carrier

     Notes: This is a Simba Low-Profile APC modified for the mortar-carrying role. The Simba Mortar Carrier was originally designed along with the Simba APC by GKN-Sankey as a private venture, and as with the Simba, had sales only to the Philippine Army and police.  They bought only a few of the mortar carrier version, for general fire support; the Philippine Army concentrated on the APC versions.  Unlike the normal Low-Prifile Simba version, the Simba Mortar Carrier is a military vehicle, and does not have the PA system or flashing lights and siren of the normal Low-Profile APC.

     As with most such vehicles, the normal passenger is taken up by a mortar using a special turntable set into the floor of the vehicle, and a specially-designed bipod which allows the mortar to fold enough for the overhead hatches to be closed. The Simba Mortar Carrier also has associated equipment such as an extension for the sight, a baseplate and bipod for operation of the mortar away from the vehicle, and minor plotting equipment. A mortar fire control computer is optional and not included in the price below. Much of the space in the rear is taken up by racks for the copious amount of ammunition carried by the vehicle.  Space for the crew is limited, and there is a little more room for equipment; there are two folding seats in the rear near the front for the two crewmembers who ride in the rear.

     The Simba Mortar Carrier has two large hatches added to the roof of the vehicle to allow the mortar to fire over the back of the vehicle.  The driver is on the front left, with a hatch above him and bullet-resistant windows around him; no provision is made for night vision equipment.  Behind the driver on a slightly-raised platform is the commander’s cupola, which has all-around vision blocks and manual rotation.  It has a pintle mount for a weapon.  On the frontal AV2 gun shield, a searchlight is mounted. On the left side of the hull to the rear of the commander’s cupola is a large clamshell door; there is another (normal) door in the rear.  As with the standard Simba APC, firing ports and vision blocks are an option, though a standard fit for the Simba Mortar Carrier is a vision block in the left-side door, the right side at the same place in the hull, and in the rear door; none of these have firing ports.  On the upper front, on each side, is a cluster of four smoke grenade launchers.

     The engine is to the driver’s right and is a Perkins 210Ti Phaser turbocharged diesel developing 210 horsepower.  Transmission is automatic.  Frontal armor is substantial, but side and rear armor are none too thick.  The off-road suspension is 4x4, but run-flat and/or puncture-resistant tires are optional.

     Twilight 2000: In the Twilight 2000 timeline, the Simba Mortar carriers were often used against crowds of protesters.  They normally fired CS rounds into crowds, but sometimes heavier ordinance was used.  They were also used in a more normal fire support role. A factory for these vehicles was set up in the Philippines just before the Twilight War, and continued operating and exporting these vehicles for at least 10 years after the Twilight War before being burned by rioters.  In Britain, production of these vehicles for home use did not start until the Twilight War, and the Simbas used by Britain were largely employed in an internal security role, mostly against marauders, Scottish separatists, and IRA terrorists.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$60,531

D, A

960 kg

10.3 tons

4

6

WL Searchlight (C)

Enclosed

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

169/85

78/39

296

99

Stnd

W(3)

HF8  HS3  HR3

 

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

None

None

81mm mortar, MAG or M-60 or M-2HB(C)

77x81mm, 1500x7.62mm or 900x.50

 

Alvis/BAE Stormer Mortar Carrier

     Notes:  This is a Stormer FV-4333 modified to carry an 81mm or 120mm mortar.  It is similar in concept and design to the US M-106 and M-125 mortar carriers, modified to carry the 81mm L-16 or (formerly) a 120mm mortar of a make I have yet to be able to find out.  The British Army in the mid-1990s dropped the heavy mortar from its inventory, leaving only the 81mm mortar vehicle.  I have included stats below for this heavy mortar vehicle, however.  Though the Stormer series has been exported, the mortar carrier never has.

     The driver of the Stormer Mortar Carrier is in the customary place in the top left of the glacis, with one wide-angle vision block to the front, replaceable by a night vision block.  The commander’s cupola is behind him; being a No 16 cupola, he has all-around vision blocks and can aim and fire his weapon (but not reload) while buttoned up. The vision blocks have no magnification, but the machinegun mount has a dual-channel x1/x10 periscope with an aiming reticule. The squad leader’s hatch on the right is there, but not normally used by the mortar squad leader (who is usually the vehicle commander), and is just for general use or observation. The rear deck hatches are enlarged for the mortar; the mortar folds down just enough to allow the hatches to be closed.  The Stormer Mortar Carrier, like most such mortar carriers, carries a ground-mount baseplate and bipod, as well as aiming stakes (which have largely been made superfluous by the hand-held mortar fire control computer, not included in the price below).  The rear area is largely given over to the mortar and its ammunition and charges; though there are two folding seats for the crewmembers which ride in the rear and there is some space for crew equipment, interior space is at a premium.

     The Stormer Mortar Carrier is powered by a 250-horsepower Perkins T6.3544 diesel, positioned to the right of the driver, coupled to an Allison T300 automatic transmission that is known for its ease and agility in shifting gears.  The engine and transmission as well as some other automotive components are designed as a single integrated powerpack.  The driver steers with a yoke and has a conventional brake and gas pedal.  Six aluminum, rubber-tired roadwheels are found on each side, with torsion-bar suspension and with hydropneumatic shock absorbers at the first, second, and sixth set of roadwheels, granting a fairly smooth ride. The Stormer Mortar Carrier is amphibious with preparation (with a floatation screen requiring erection, a trim vane extended, and a bilge pump turned on; time required is 15 minutes). A propeller kit can be retrofitted to the Stormer Mortar Carrier for amphibious operations, doubling the Stormer Mortar Carrier’s swimming speed.  The tension of the tracks can be set by the driver from his compartment using a hand pump, which connects to a hydraulic ram-type tension adjustor (doing this while the vehicle is in motion is definitely discouraged, as it can easily lead to a thrown track).

     One handicap of the 120mm mortar-carrying version was the limited onboard ammunition, meaning it often had to tow an ammunition trailer, be followed by one of more ammunition-carrying vehicles, or overstuff the interior and exterior with crates of ammunition.

 

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

81mm Mortar Carrier

$70,943

D, A

610 kg

12 tons

4

6

Passive IR (D, C)

Shielded

81mm Mortar Carrier (w/Appliqué)

$71,515

D, A

600 kg

12.6 tons

4

8

Passive IR (D, C)

Shielded

120mm Mortar Carrier

$69,332

D, A

600 kg

12.1 tons

4

6

Passive IR (D, C)

Shielded

120mm Mortar Carrier (w/Appliqué)

$69,904

D, A

590 kg

12.7 tons

4

8

Passive IR (D, C)

Shielded

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

81mm Mortar Carrier

141/99

35/21/2

405

124

Stnd

T3

HF8  HS4  HR4

81mm Mortar Carrier (w/Appliqué)

134/94

33/20/2

405

129

Stnd

T3

HF10  HS6  HR4*

120mm Mortar Carrier

140/98

35/21/2

405

125

Stnd

T3

HF8  HS4  HR4

120mm Mortar Carrier (w/Appliqué)

134/94

33/20/2

405

129

Stnd

T3

HF10  HS6  HR4*

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

81mm Mortar

+1

None

81mm Mortar, L-7A2 (C)

75x81mm, 3000x7.62mm

120mm Mortar

+1

None

120mm mortar, L-7A2 (C)

30x120mm, 3000x7.62mm

*Belly armor for this variant is 3.