File image.
The M113 Panzermörser 120 mm mortar carrier has been spotted with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for the first time.
On December 17, footage showing service members of the AFU firing at Russian forces from a M113 Panzermörser [mortar tank in German] on an unidentified front in Ukraine surfaced online.
The Panzermörser, which was developed in Germany, is built on the base of an American-made M113 armored personnel carrier and armed with a Finish-made Tampella 120 mm mortar. The system can carry up to 60 mortar rounds, and fire with a range of six to seven kilometers. It can fire five rounds per minute for five minutes or 15 rounds in a minute.
In October, it was announced that Lithuania, a NATO member, will donate undisclosed quantity of M113 Panzermörser mortar carriers to the AFU in response to the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine.
The Lithuanian Land Forces acquired 32 M113 Panzermörser mortar carriers from Germany in 2005 and 2006. Later in 2015, they were modernized in cooperation with Israel.
Ten M113 Panzermörser mortar carriers were reportedly supplied to the AFU in November. It’s unclear if Lithuania is planning to deliver more systems any time soon.
NATO states have supplied Ukraine with hundreds of howitzers, mortars and rocket launchers as well as dozens of counter-battery radars since the start of the Russian special military operation. Despite of this massive support, the AFU is still struggling to match the fire power of the Russian military.
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