120 mm smoke bomb 266

unique. A time fuze is fitted, when this functions, it first fires a small rocket motor which exhausts through a port in the side of the bomb just below the fuze. This causes the bomb to yaw sideways across its trajectory, and as it does so an expelling charge blows off the ogive of the bomb. This releases a small drag parachute which fills and pulls out a larger parachute. During this action the bomb is yawing more across its trajectory. Under the pull of the large braking parachute, which is firmly attached to the bomb afterbody, the bomb rapidly turns upside down. It has now lost all its flight momentum and is suspended beneath the braking parachute. The expelling charge that initiated all this action also lit a delay which now lights the smoke composition. The bomb afterbody now drops to the ground, emitting smoke as it does so, under the control of the braking parachute. It therefore lands relatively gently so that it will not be shattered or buried. The descent of the smoke container takes place at the same speed irrespective of range, so that the smoke screening ability remains the same throughout the whole firing range of the mortar. The smoke bomb is a close ballistic match for the standard Tampella pattern 120 mm HE mortar bomb. An infra-red screening smoke composition has been developed and can be loaded into the smoke container at customers' request. Manufacturer Bofors AB.