AMOS, the advanced mortar system

AMOS (video link 36,9mb.. this is rock bottom video.. worth to watch..)

Quote form here..

The Nordic countries have cooperated to produce a significant development in close support mortars. AMOS, a turreted twin barrel, smooth-bore 120 mm mortar system, has been jointly developed by Hagglunds Vehicle AB, the Swedish company, now a subsidiary of Alvis, and the Finnish company Patria Vammas Qy, for installation on a wide range of light armoured vehicles and combat boats. It has been developed to replace traditional ground-based mortars as battalion artillery.

The AMOS turret system features:


1) High rate of fire because of its twin barrel concept
2) Direct fire capability
3) Rapid deployment due to instrumentation for vehicle location and attitude, well suited for shoot & scoot tactics
4) Ballistic protection against infantry weapons and splinters for crew. Add-on-Armour is available as an option
5) Large on-board ammunition supply
6) Capable of firing all 120 mm smooth-bore Modular system ammunition

Patria Hagglunds Qy, the joint venture company comprising Patria lndustries Oy and Hagglunds Vehicle AB, is demonstrating AMOS at Eurosatory 2000

The company received its first order for AMOS in June 1999, when the initial contract was signed by the Finnish Defence Forces for the self-propelled to be delivered in autumn 2000 and tested during the winter. The Finnish Defence Forces intend to take AMOS into service with the Regines Brigades for a tactical test programme that is scheduled to get under way in 2003.

Current procurement plans envisage the Swedish Armed Forces purchasing a new protected mortar system. The programme is planned to be co-ordinated with that from Finland within the Nordic defence co-operation framework.

US buys AMOS license

AAI Corporation Enters Into Technology License for AMOS Mortar System

HUNT VALLEY, MARYLAND, JANARY 29, 2003 - U.S. defense contractor AAI Corporation has entered into an exclusive technology license with the Finnish firm Patria H�gglunds Oy for the engineering and marketing in North America of the highly effective Advanced Mortar System (AMOS)� now in development for several European militaries.

�This is a major new initiative for AAI Corporation,� stated Fred Strader, AAI Corporation president and chief operating officer. �We are extremely proud to be selected to work with a company the caliber of Patria H�gglunds, its employees, and its associated firms. Current world conditions highlight the need for more capable mortar systems for U.S. forces. AMOS is the best turret mortar system available today.�

�One of the first markets for AMOS and its technologies,� Strader added, �will be the U.S. Army�s Future Combat System (FCS). The AMOS system design is mature and will meet the Army�s aggressive time schedule for FCS. The mortar system is a prominent element in achieving organic fire support in the Objective Force. With AMOS, AAI is positioned well to help the Army meet its new challenges.�

Modular in design, AMOS can be integrated into a range of tracked and wheeled platforms and on combat boats. As the U.S. technology licensee for AMOS, AAI will work with Patria H�gglunds in U.S. and Canadian markets to design, develop, and produce existing and derivative mortar weapon systems.

AMOS represents the latest technology in turret systems. Finnish and Swedish combat forces have contracted to integrate the AMOS system on Patria�s armored wheeled vehicle as well as on the Alvis H�gglunds� tracked CV90 IFV and on the Combat Boat 90.

Operating with impressive firepower, including direct and indirect fire capability, the AMOS turret is comprised of twin barrel 120 mm mortars with automatic ammunition handling and electronic target engagement/firing systems.

AMOS uses current ammunition in stock and is compatible with future 120-mm mortar ammunition such as the Precision Guided Mortar Munition.

AMOS 2x120mm on AMX 8x8 chasis.

This system is:

1) Finnish weapons
2) Swedish turret
3) Any APC / IFV chasis fits (free choice..)

And has function that allows it to put 16 120mm rounds to same target at same time..

That should keep the socialists at bay for a while.

Originally posted by THENEO
That should keep the socialists at bay for a while.

It will keep anybody one wants to keep 'at bay'.

This monster eats Tanks, APCs, IFVs, infantry, bunkers, boats and ships.. basicly anything that doesnt fly.



[Edited on 24-9-2003 by FULCRUM]

The AMOS turret is specatular!

I have to agree, how ever. It does have some weakness in close quarters, a well trained crew should be able to defeat that flaw though.

Thats a very cool and awesome wep. design Uni/Fulcrum.
WTG on the information...very informative and nicely presented.
I will have to dig through some sites and see what I can further come up with.
Great job and information. Thanks.

regards
seekerof

ADVISOR,

Lets keep in mind.. this is a mortar system.. basicly artillery..

So, if it is little handicapped in close range (ranges less than 75m, but more than 25m.. it really isnt a surprice..

As this is fire support and not assault weapon.. the direct fire funtion is '150% bonus'..

And besides.. firing 120mm HE rounds to target that is less than 50m away (120mm has danger limit of some 300m.) is going to damage the vehicle itself.. so.. lets not do enemys job for him..

(there is also a safety mechanism in every 120mm or any HE round for that matter.. that prevents the round exploding so close that it can harm the weapon from which it is fired from or the weapons crew.. and even for 'tiny' 23mm soviet AAA round this range is about 80m.. so i would figure that the 120mm rounds arm themselfs some 150-300m 'off the barrel' after fired.)

Seekerof,

Yeah.. it would be nice if tou could find something more..

I do have many pages, books and magizes about AMOS.. that have very detailed info.. but it is all in Finnish.. so..

But nice that you liked my post.. i tryed my best..

Hey pretty cool motar system. I hope that it will prove to be useful.

I saw the video, and it fired the mortars horizontially!

Something unheard of in the Mortar world! What I was implying was the ability to fire and certain elevations. It is obvious the round will have to travel it's minimul trajectory to take effect. Anything within that minimul range is going to have to be delt with by dirty legs, ground pounders or dismounts from the vehicle useing the turret. I would not reccomend the AMOS turret in MOUT situations, although it would make a great Urban assualt platform.

That thing is awesome. I bet it will prove itself in infantry support.

Picture house to house fighting (mout).. friendly troops are in front of a building.. and the commander knows that the enemy force is behind that building in a another street.. and the friendly forces have with them a AMOS..

this is what they do.. elevate AMOS barrels to 89.9 degrees of angle.. put the min. charge to the 120mm mortar rounds and.. ATTENTION.. FIRE!

Multiple 120mm Rounds land 50m away in the another street, where the OPF is.. was.. now they are blasted to bits..



More detailed info about AMOS:

The main benefits of AMOS are:

1) High rate of fire
2) Direct fire capability
3) Rapid deployment
4) Ballistic and NBC-protection
5) Low chassis loads due to recoil system
6) Large amount of onboard ammo
7) Suitability for all standard 120 mm smoothbore mortar ammo
8) Full 360� traverse
9) One of the key properties of the AMOS is MRSI, Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact. It's a system, which makes it possible to fire up to 14 rounds landing at the target at the same time.

Technical data:

Weight (weapons and loading device) 1455 kg
Time to fire < 30 s
Time to scoot < 10 s
Max. rate of fire 12 rds/min
First 4 rounds < 8 s
Shooting range (direct) 150 - 1 000 m
Shooting range (indirect) > 10 km
Firing sector � 360�
Elevation range -3� to +85�
Turret crew 2+1
Mortars 2*120 mm
Barrel length 3 000 mm
Loading system Semi-automatic
Recoiling systems Hydro-pneumatic

Ammunition:

All smoothbore type ammo:

HE
Practice
Illumination
Smoke
Cargo (cluster)
Guided

Patria

Ok,

Not to 89,9 degree elevation.. as 85 is max.. but youll get the point..

Min. direct fire range 150m

Undirect not mentioned, but it must be less.

Have you ever seen a mortar round impact?!

The average blast radius is a football field in diameter!
I # you not, my friend was a mortar man in the Army, he explained everything to me. He had to, as I was Cav and know nothing about grunts exept they go crunch when run over..j/k.

Anyways, useing this thing in a MOUT enviornment is bad, unless the objective is to eliminate everything, hence why I said "urban assualt". Which is different than MOUT, in assualt nothing is supposed to survive...

I agree the AMOS is a very nice mortar platform, but not suitable for an urban situation , unless total destruction is whats called for, sorry.

ADVISOR,

Yeah i do really know what it is like when these 120mm:s go off.. Enemy must be destroyed.

# the the collateral damage, and lets hope the civilians have left or are hiding in the basements..

Seriously, urban warefare will turn ugly like in Grozny if the opposition is determined.

And only way to win the battle against such foe is to blast the hell out of them..

And btw..

in FDF (Finnish Defence Forces) these AMOS weapons are in inventory of the tree 'readiness brigades'..
that actually specialise in urban warfare..

Thats one I'll check out. Might be interesting cross training. Thanks

Originally posted by ADVISOR
Thats one I'll check out. Might be interesting cross training. Thanks

Here info on FDF on english..

The brigades

The wartime strength of the Finnish Defence Forces is about 490 000 men, the strength of the Army is about 345 000. The finnish army is not organized in divisions, since that is too large formations for operating in the difficult finnish terrain. The brigades are organized in army corpses, which have their own multiple rocket-launcher batteries and heavy artillery battallions supporting the brigades in combat. The brigades are organized and equipped to act independently if necessary. The general forces is supported by company to battalion-sized local defence units. Approximately 50 battallions and 200 other local defence units. These engage in rearguard action and create a depth of defensive preparedness to delay and wear down the enemy. These units is supported by their own mortar and artillery units.

General forces

Infantry Brigades, or jalkav�kiprikaatit in finnish. These brigades are formed mainly with reservists with a strenght of approximately 6600 soldiers in each brigade. The brigades uses numerical designations. The brigades are organized as the jaeagerbrigades but has older equipment and are not motorized to the same extenth. They are thus suitable for defensive operations.

- 17. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 19. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 27. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 29. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 34. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 36. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 39. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 41. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 42. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 43. Jalkav�kiprikaati
- 47. Jalkav�kiprikaati

Jaegerbrigades, or j��k�riprikaatit in finnish, better equipped infantry and higly motorized. Strenght approximately 5300 soldiers. They are thus suitable for offensive operations.

- H�men J��k�riprikaati,
- Lapin J��k�riprikaati
- Pohjan J��k�riprikaati
- Kymen J��k�riprikaati
- Savon J��k�riprikaati
- Pohjois-Karjalan J��k�riprikaati

Readiness brigades, or valmiusprikaatit in finnish, spearhead units with the most modern equipment available. Strenght approximately 5300 soldiers. Part of Pori Brigade is ear-marked for international missions under the name FRDF (Finnish Rapid Deployment Force). These brigades are lighter and more flexible than jaegerbrigades. The modern equipment however still gives them more fire-power than a jaegerbrigade.

- Kainuun Valmiusprikaati
- Karjalan Valmiusprikaati
- Porin Valmiusprikaati

Armoured brigades, or panssariprikaatit in finnish, with T-72M1 main battle tanks. Strenght approximately 5700 soldiers and 65 main battle tanks in each brigade, hundreds of other armoured vehicles. Both fighting vehicles and transport and engineer vehicles. The Leopard 2A4�s bought from Germany (and one T-72 battallion) will be based at the active Armoured Brigade during peace-time, during war they would be formed to independent tank battallions and support the other brigades in combat, mainly the readiness brigades. The armoured brigades are usefull in the south. Up in the north the armour would be forced to use the roads which would make them vulnerable, as the russians found ut during world war 2.

- 1. Panssariprikaati, active
- 2. Panssariprikaati, reserve

Coastal brigade, swedish-speaking, organized under the Navy.

- Nylands brigad (swedish), Uudenmaan prikaati (finnish).

There is partial unit list..

AMV 8x8 AMOS

AMOS, or advanced mortar system. Mounted on the new Patria AMV 8x8. It will be used in the two southern readiness brigades with 12 vehicles in each. With modern guided anti-tank ammunition such as the swedish STRIX the vehicle is also effective against "hard" targets. The turret has an integrated GPS and Inertia positioning device with a lasersight and rangefinder, which gives the vehicle an accurate direct-fire capability. Under optimal circumstances the vehicle is capable of launching 16 rounds in different trajectories, so that they hit the target at the same time, and when the rounds hit their target the vehicle has already left it�s firing position to avoid counter-battery fire.

And there about how AMOS is used..



[Edited on 26-9-2003 by FULCRUM]

The average blast radius is a football field in diameter!

You are right about that, but I would think they would have different types of shells. I am not sure but it would only seem logical. What do you think Advisor?

Originally posted by omega1

The average blast radius is a football field in diameter!

You are right about that, but I would think they would have different types of shells. I am not sure but it would only seem logical. What do you think Advisor?

I think the size of the mortar shell being used would have an influence yes. I also think that the AMOS platform is better suited for regular operations, than MOUT. That is just my personal opinion. I believe my reasons are already explained above.

I did a little fishing on the Finnish Defence Forces and found this interesting tid bit.

Trying not to steal the thread, but it happens.

ADVISOR,

It seems to me like you are suggesting that Finns have something to do with the NWO plan done by UN?

Btw people..

When we are talking about nations fighting for their survival in urban combat.. anything is 'legal'..

Just trying to say that collateral damage isnt a issue then. Not for the defender anyways..

Freedom is more important than material.

And if some by-standers must be sacrifised, so be it.. what is best for the most, is the best for all.. even if innocents get killed..



[Edited on 28-9-2003 by Bandit]