The L16 81mm mortar is a British standard mortar used by the Canadian Army, British Army, and many other armed forces. It originated as a joint design by the UK and Canada. The version produced and used by Australia is named the F2 81mm Mortar, whilst the version used by the U.S. armed forces is known as the M252. It was introduced in 1965–66, replacing the

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in UK service, where it is used by the British Army, the

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and the

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. In UK armoured/mechanised infantry battalions, the L16 mortar is mounted in an

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AFV (six per battalion mortar platoon). British army light role infantry battalions and the

may transport their mortars in BvS 10 vehicles (the replacement for the

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). Otherwise, it is carried disassembled in three loads, (barrel, baseplate and bipod with sights, each approximately 11 kg), normally carried by a vehicle or helicopter and assembled for firing from the ground. The weapon can be man-packed by the mortar detachment, in which case the ammunition would be carried by other soldiers of the battalion. In addition to their normal equipment, each soldier would carry four bombs in a pair of two-bomb plastic containers (known as ''greenies'' in the British Army).

Operators

Current operators

* : known as 'F2 81mm mortar' * * * * * * * * * * * – Armed Forces of Malta * * * : L16A2 * : L16A2 * * * * * * * * * * * : M252 mortar *

Former operators

* – Rhodesian Army

Gallery

File:L16 smoothbore.png, View down the smoothbore barrel of the L16 mortar. File:L16 baseplate.png, L16 baseplate. File:L16 sight.png, L16 C2 sight. File:L16 81mm mortar fired by JGSDF soldiers during Orient Shield 2012, -31 Oct. 2012 a.webm, Video of L16 81mm mortar fired by JGSDF soldiers during Orient Shield 2012

References

External links

* {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Infantry mortars Cold War weapons of the United Kingdom Mortars of the United Kingdom Artillery of Canada 81mm mortars Military equipment introduced in the 1960s