Function: Provides field artillery fire support for all Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force organizations.





Description: The M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar is a crew-served, medium weight mortar which is highly accurate and provides for a greater range (4,500 meters to 5,650 meters) and lethality than the previous versions. The cannon has a crew-removable breech plug and firing pin. The muzzle end has a short tapered lead-in which acts as a blast attenuator device. The breech end is finned for better cooling. This mortar also uses the standard M64 mortar sight of the 60mm mortar, M224.





Background: This mortar replaced the previous Marine Corps 81mm mortar in 1986. The M252 is an adaptation of the standard British 81mm mortar developed in the 1970s. It is mostly commonly found in the mortar platoon of an infantry battalion. A Blast Attenuation Device (BAD) is attached to the muzzle of the weapon to reduce the blast effects on the mortar crew. The M252 is ideally suited to support airborne, air assault and light infantry units.





General Characteristics, M-252 Mortar





Length:

56 inches (142.24 centimeters)





Weight:

Mortar Assembly: 35 pounds (15.89 kilograms)



Bipod: 26 pounds (11.80 kilograms)



Baseplate: 25.5 pounds (11.58 kilograms)



Sight Unit: 2.5 pounds (1.14 kilograms)



Total: 89 pounds (40.41 kilograms)





Bore Diameter:

81mm







Maximum Effective Range:

5700 meters





Rates of Fire:

Maximum: 33 rounds per minute Sustained: 16 rounds per minute Elevation: 45 to 85 degrees





Minimum Range:

80 meters





Unit Replacement Cost:

$24,717