Steyr 4K 7FA AMC 81
Notes:
The mortar carrier version of the 4K 7FA was in development at almost the
same time as the basic APC, and both appeared in the late 1970s.
While the 4K 7FA APC has been almost totally been replaced in Austrian
service, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 remains in service. Several other countries who use
the 4A 7FA also use its mortar carrier iteration.
In form, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 is externally and automotively virtually
identical to the 4K 7FA APC, though there are external mountings for a
baseplate, bipod, and aiming stakes for when use of the mortar away from the
vehicle is warranted. The driver
remains on the front left of the vehicle with three vision blocks to his front,
the centermost of which can be replaced with an IR vision block.
The commander’s cupola is also retained, with its two-part hatch that
opens to the right and left and can be locked open vertically to provide some
protection to the commander. The
cupola also has all-around vision blocks, and on the rear are four smoke grenade
launchers. The cupola may also be
fitted with all-around gun shields which are AV2 and add $400 to the cost of the
vehicle. The 4K 7FA does not,
however, have any firing ports or associated vision blocks.
The rear deck hatch is modified for the use of the mortar through it, and
does not have any pintle mounts around it except in the rear.
The front-most seat on the right side is still present, and generally
reserved for the mortar squad leader; however, he does not have the rotating
periscope of the 4K 7FA APC.
Of course, the
most dramatic modifications are inside the vehicle.
The rear area carries a specially-mounted 81mm mortar, racks for
ammunition for the mortar, and limited seating for the mortar crew and very
limited room for just about anything else.
The mortar on its mount folds down partially inside the vehicle when the
hatches are closed. Even so, it’s a tight fit for the crew (the driver has
perhaps the most space), and most crew equipment invariably gets tied to the
outside of the vehicle. Modern 4K 7FA AMC 81s carry a hand-held mortar fire
control computer that allows them to calculate items like gun angle and the
amount of charges to put on their shells based on the coordinates given to them
by the FDC.
As with the rest
of the 4K 7FA series, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 has a 320-horsepower turbocharged diesel
engine coupled to a semiautomatic transmission.
The 4K 7FA AMC 81 uses special wide tracks for performance on snow and
mud, and the normally rubber track pads can be replaced with track pads with
steel claws in them for performance on ice and in difficult terrain.
The engine compartment has an automatic fire extinguishing system, as does the
crew and passenger compartments. As
with the rest of the 4K 7FA series, the 4K 7FA AMC 81 has a gyrocompass to aid
navigation.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$387,386 |
D, A |
400 kg |
14.8 tons |
5 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
151/106 |
36/22 |
360 |
178 |
Stnd |
T3 |
HF8
HS6 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
None |
81mm TDA mortar, MAG (R), M2HB |
85x81mm, 1000x7.62mm, 600x.50 |