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120 mm Gran laser-guided mortar projectile
Category
Ammunition, Missiles and precision weapons
Description The 120 mm Gran (Facet) laser-guided mortar projectile was developed by the KBP at Tula. It is intended for the indirect engagement of spot targets such as structures or lightly armoured vehicles by 120 mm mortars when conventional artillery assets are not available. The Gran is apparently usually carried by self-propelled 120 mm mortar vehicles such as the 2S9 Nona-S or 2S23 Nona-SVK, but could also be fired from conventional ground-mounted 120 mm mortars. Maximum range is 7,500 m. The Gran projectile
is 1.225 m long and weighs 25 kg. It resembles an elongated artillery projectile; there are no tailfins. A laser sensor is located in the nose. For a Gran fire mission, a forward observer locates a suitable target and relays target data to a fire-control position. At that position a microcomputer is used to produce fire data, while at the fire position the fire data is passed to a hand-held microcomputer for further specialised computation relating to preparation of the Gran laser seeker electronics. Once the projectile has been launched and has passed its trajectory apogee, the target is illuminated by a laser target designator for the descending Gran projectile to sense and home onto. As far as can be determined, trajectory corrections are effected using small thruster rockets close to the projectile's centre of gravity. On target the 11 kg warhead, of which 5.1 kg is explosive, is of the High-Explosive Fragmentation (HEF) type. It is capable of destroying structures such as bunkers.