The reality of the situation is that moratrs are going to be around for a long time to come. They are cheap, lightweight, fast to set up and get into action, plus they can be deployed within eyeball of the enemy. And, not to be dismissed lightly either, pound for pound they offer a bigger bang and greater lethality than 'conventional' artillery rounds.
Mortar rounds may include airburst, burrowing (to explodes several seconds after impact) and regular impact. They may include sub-munitions, such as a bomblets, top down anti-armour rockets, micro-bot cloud, drones, minelets, ECM They may also have 'smart' munitions that can search for a particular target signature - a type of tank, infantry, or even an individual.
With the increase in mortar round detection and defence systems coming into play today, mortar rounds may have to be 'stealthed' so they are blind to the enemy Grid
Even in the 70's mortar locating radar systems could backtrack mortar rounds to locate the firing position. Future technology will only make it easier, even for the individual infantryman and allow countermeasures to respond immediately..
Mortars may well become like LAW's or other disposable rocket systems. A futuristic mortar could be a single shot or magazine fed weapon. Automated - on the Grid and highly 'disposable'.
A field of 'remote' automated mortar tubes could be deployed by the infantry or even by drop capsule. The Grid or even the infantry themselves could transmit fire support orders to the mortar's on board intelligence chip which makes the necessary calculations and fires the number and type of tubes necessary. Any enemy counter-measures simply target a group of now useless tubes.
In a hostile aerospace environment it could be that the scenario is for a small group to iniltrate enemy positions, set up a mortar - manned (for protection) or remote, and then launch a smart munition on a laser painted enemy facility or personage at the correct moment.
Cheers
Mark
Nice post. I had never thought of mortars in a sci-fi setting either, but your thoughts regarding automated disposable drop capsule mortars is a awesome idea. Like the air drones of today, they could be remotely controlled from elsewhere even by conscripts that don't know geometry, but equipped with touch screens that have the area gridded. They could just touch where they want fire directed letting the mortars do the computations to deliver their payload. There are a lot of possibilities.
ReplyDeletehttp://reinwood99.blogspot.com/
No, you have a nice blog.
ReplyDeleteThe automated 'smart' mortar idea actually led to the development of the idea that Jon at Khurasan put into actuality here:
http://dropshiphorizon.blogspot.com/2010/12/in-pipe-revolutionary-firepower.html
Cheers
Mark
Nice post. My 2 cents:
ReplyDeleteI think that mortars in the classic sense (read, tube on legs and guys dropping warhead into them) are a hilarious sight in the scifi battlefield. They are big, inaccurate, terribly inefficient, and a poor design.
In the future, I would predict that the progression or technology would allow all "mortar" type weapons (anti-armor, area-effect, etc) would be replaced by un-manned aerial drones or set-and-forget remote systems. Drones would be more accurate, more durable, and allow for greater mobility. Set-and-forget remotes would be great to allow a squad to call its own artillery strikes with precision and haste.
In any case, having a bunch of meat-bags sitting with a mortar tube is a recipe for lagging inaccurate weapons fire and a drain on manpower.
good day!
Having been on the receiving end of incoming rounds on a FOB "protected" by a current anti-mortar system I can tell that there is plenty of room for improvement. Even in the Hammer's Slammers stories the automated indirect fire defenses could be overwhelmed by volume of fire.
ReplyDeleteI think that mortars will see continued use in the future because they provide cost-effective indirect fire support to dismounted infantry. The infantry like having an indirect fire platform that belongs to them rather than having to rely on DIVARTY or the fly-boys. Accuracy is a matter of the manufacture of the equipment and the training of the crew. Well trained personnel using purpose built equipment will hit their targets. In a sci-fi setting, manned or unmanned is really a matter of how well the user trusts a remoted mortar.
I think Sgt. Crunch is on the money. I think mortars are misunderstood by many gamers who think of them as "just another support weapon" instead of a company or platoon's dedicated artillery park.
ReplyDeleteFor a better picture, read some of the literature coming out of the current conflicts. If I recall correctly, ATTACK STATE RED (about British troops in Afghanistan) had some excellent examples of mortars being used in just the way Sgt. Crunch describes - in the place of higher level artillery or air assets. In a conflict between two modern, regular forces, division level arty and air support would be precious assets and not used as profligately down to the "strategic corporal" level we see today - that's when mortar assets would really come into their own.
Add SF twists like low trajectory, rocket assist, drones to spoof C-RAM, etc., etc., plus low price to build and less skill required to operate due to computational advances, and I see a long and productive future ahead for the ol' tubes.
There'a a Bill Mauldin Willie & Joe cartoon which sums up this picture - a 60mm mortarman answers a field phone drolely as "C Company artillery commander".
ReplyDeleteI think Derek speaks for many gamers though, and to some extent myself regarding mortars. When it comes to Sci Fi settings - it's not lack or appreciation about capability or reality of warfare today - it's more that the mortar appears as anachronistic in the vsision of a Sci Fi battlefield as a turn handle Gatling gun.
Having said that Jon's mortar team looks perfect for defending Fort Beersheba in Pournelle's West of Honour:
"Where's Lieberman?"
"Dead, sir. I'm senior NCO."
"What mortar ammunition have you?"
"Fourteen rounds, sir."
"Drop three onto the riverbank just beyond us, and stand by to use more."
"Aye, aye, sir. One moment. There was silence. Then he said, "On the way."
Cheers
Mark
In some ways a mortar will probably actually get MORE useful on a sci-fi battlefield. Unlike a direct-fire weapon like the plasma cannon, a mortar can be used for virtually any task artillery can do, provided you have the ammo to feed it. Need to suppress a crowd without intentionally killing anyone, toss a stingball filled round at the group because plasma wont cut it. Need to kill a Hammer's Slammer style tank? Use a dedicated anti-armor round instead of firing plasma that the iridium hull will just soak. If you can manage to add a rapid fire drum feed to a mortar it would be frightening - look up a time-on-target attack.
ReplyDeleteLocating Systems
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ReplyDeleteI had checked your link. This is very interesting.
Please keep sharing more and more information....