South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Friday that the Army took delivery of the first batch of new 120-mm self-propelled mortar systems.
The latest systems built by S&T Dynamics will replace the Army’s aging 4.2-inch mortars that have been in service for over four decades. By 2025, the military will receive the new mortars mounted on armored carriers, along with fire direction center vehicles. They are to be used for close fire support operations.
DAPA claims the new mortar system’s striking range is 2.3 times longer and its firepower nearly two times stronger than the military’s old ones.
Hanwha Defense has manufactured a carrier for the new mortar. The company assembled them to manufacture the overall system under an acquisition program valued at $648.9 million.
The program also includes the manufacturing of the fire direction center vehicle by Hanwha Defense on a budget of $84.7 million.