On Friday, the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport announced the successful completion tests of an advanced version of Mörser 16 120mm self-propelled mortar carrier, and that these systems, finally, in 2024 will go to the Swiss army.
In January 2016, the Swiss Federal Office for Defense Procurement (Armasuisse) issued a Swiss company RUAG contract worth 404 million Swiss francs for the supply of 32 Mörser 16 self-propelled mortar systems and 12 special vehicles to the Swiss Army.
The new mortar systemі consists of RUAG COBRA Mortar System that mounted on PIRANHA 5 wheeled vehicle.
According to Armyrecognition.com, the COBRA is a high-tech mortar system that weighs 1,200 kg (without loading machine) or 1,350 kg (with loading machine). The recoil force is 30 tonnes in 30 milliseconds. The firing of the first round needs less than 60 seconds.
RUAG said that its COBRA Mortar System is quickly and accurately. Automatic setup and loading guarantees consistence with its 120 mm ammunition. Electrical drives make the system highly accurate, whilst ballistic computing enables MRSI firing (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact).
The delivery was supposed to be produced from 2018 to 2022.
However, tests of the first manufactured samples of the Mörser 16 system, which led to improvements, and as a result, the Swiss Ministry of Defense approved the test results of the upgraded system only now, giving approval for its delivery to the army.
An advanced version of the Mörser 16 mortar systems will eventually be delivered only in 2024.
It is reported that the cost overrun for additional tests and improvements amounted to about 10 million francs, which RUAG agreed to cover at its own expense.
It should be noted that PIRANHA 5 wheeled chassis made for Mörser 16 will be the first production vehicles of this modification of the Piranha family (to date, the PIRANHA 5 armored personnel carrier has not found serial customers).