Steyr 4K 7FA AMC 81

     Notes:  The mortar carrier version of the 4K 7FA was in development at almost the same time as the basic APC, and both appeared in the late 1970s.  While the 4K 7FA APC has been almost totally been replaced in Austrian service, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 remains in service. Several other countries who use the 4A 7FA also use its mortar carrier iteration.  In form, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 is externally and automotively virtually identical to the 4K 7FA APC, though there are external mountings for a baseplate, bipod, and aiming stakes for when use of the mortar away from the vehicle is warranted.  The driver remains on the front left of the vehicle with three vision blocks to his front, the centermost of which can be replaced with an IR vision block.  The commander’s cupola is also retained, with its two-part hatch that opens to the right and left and can be locked open vertically to provide some protection to the commander.  The cupola also has all-around vision blocks, and on the rear are four smoke grenade launchers.  The cupola may also be fitted with all-around gun shields which are AV2 and add $400 to the cost of the vehicle.  The 4K 7FA does not, however, have any firing ports or associated vision blocks.  The rear deck hatch is modified for the use of the mortar through it, and does not have any pintle mounts around it except in the rear.  The front-most seat on the right side is still present, and generally reserved for the mortar squad leader; however, he does not have the rotating periscope of the 4K 7FA APC.

     Of course, the most dramatic modifications are inside the vehicle.  The rear area carries a specially-mounted 81mm mortar, racks for ammunition for the mortar, and limited seating for the mortar crew and very limited room for just about anything else.  The mortar on its mount folds down partially inside the vehicle when the hatches are closed. Even so, it’s a tight fit for the crew (the driver has perhaps the most space), and most crew equipment invariably gets tied to the outside of the vehicle. Modern 4K 7FA AMC 81s carry a hand-held mortar fire control computer that allows them to calculate items like gun angle and the amount of charges to put on their shells based on the coordinates given to them by the FDC.

     As with the rest of the 4K 7FA series, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 has a 320-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine coupled to a semiautomatic transmission.  The 4K 7FA AMC 81 uses special wide tracks for performance on snow and mud, and the normally rubber track pads can be replaced with track pads with steel claws in them for performance on ice and in difficult terrain. The engine compartment has an automatic fire extinguishing system, as does the crew and passenger compartments.  As with the rest of the 4K 7FA series, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 has a gyrocompass to aid navigation.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$387,386

D, A

400 kg

14.8 tons

5

10

Passive IR (D)

Shielded

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

151/106

36/22

360

178

Stnd

T3

HF8  HS6  HR4

 

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

None

None

81mm TDA mortar, MAG (R), M2HB

85x81mm, 1000x7.62mm, 600x.50