Notes:
When the Brazilian Army modified most of their X-1As into X-1A1s and
X-1A2s, some were modified into mortar carriers.
The turret was removed and the turret ring was fitted with large double
hatches to be opened for operation of the mortar.
Like most such vehicles, the X-1A Mortar Vehicle carries a baseplate,
bipod, and aiming stakes on the side for use if the mortar must be dismounted
and used away from the vehicle. A
commander’s cupola has been added at the front left, with all-around vision
blocks and a pintle mount; it is manually-rotated.
The driver remains in the front right of the hull, with three vision
blocks to the front and one to his right.
A small number of these vehicles remain in service, but like the X-1A2
itself, they have mostly replaced with more modern mortar vehicles and light
artillery.
The interior is
heavily-modified to include a special baseplate built into the floor of the
vehicle, a special bipod which allows the mortar to be partially folded so the
deck hatches can be folded, and an extension for the sight which allows the
gunner to see over the vehicle to use it.
There are racks for ammunition which surround the walls of the former
turret basket and crew compartment on three sides, as well as some behind the
driver. The mortar fires over the
rear of the vehicle, as in most mortar vehicles.
Crew and operating space is as a premium in the X-1A mortar vehicle, with
only cramped fold-up seats for the two crewman who are carried in the rear and
almost none for personal gear or even the ammunition for their personal weapons.
Like the X-1A,
the chassis of the X-1A mortar vehicle is based on a highly-modified M-3A1
Stuart light tank. This chassis has
a Saab-Scania 280-horsepower engine and larger fuel tanks than on the M-3A1, a
heavily-sloped glacis plate along with mildly-sloped sides, and a new volute
suspension which improves off-road performance and smoothens the ride.
The transmission is manual.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$41,278 |
D, A |
400 kg |
15 tons |
4 |
13 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
147/103 |
41/29 |
320 |
104 |
Stnd |
T2 |
HF6 HS5
HR5 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
None |
120mm Mortar, M-2HB (C) |
77x120mm, 670x.50 |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicles
Notes:
These are EE-11 Urutu wheeled armored personnel carriers modified to
carry mortars instead of standard armament, and suitably modified for that role.
Two such vehicles exist: one which is turretless and carries an 81mm
mortar firing through rear roof hatches, and one which has a 60mm gun/mortar in
a small turret matched to a heavy machinegun.
These vehicles are used by most countries using the EE-11 Urutu,
especially the version carrying the 81mm mortar.
The EE-11 Mortar Vehicle
This version
carries an 81mm or 120mm mortar in the rear and the associated ammunition and
equipment. The base chassis is that
of a turretless version of the EE-11, though it is suitably modified.
The rear deck of the EE-11 Mortar Vehicle has two large hatches opening
right and left to allow use of the mortar; the mortar folds down just enough to
allow the hatches to be shut, and is raised before firing.
The EE-11 Mortar Vehicle retains the commander’s cupola of the standard
turretless EE-11, which has hatches that open to the right and left, all-around
vision blocks, manual rotation, and a pintle weapons mount.
Optionally, the commander’s cupola can be fitted with all-around AV2 gun
shields.
The rear of the
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle is heavily-modified to carry the mortar and ammunition
racks, as well as some associated equipment such as simple plotting equipment.
As with virtually all such mortar vehicles, the baseplate is built into
the floor of the vehicle, and bipod is specially designed to be used in a
vehicular role. A hand-held mortar fire control is optional (it is included in
the cost below). The mortar fires
over the rear of the vehicle. A
baseplate, bipod, and aiming stakes are carried strapped to the outside of the
vehicle; the aiming stakes are standard mortar firing equipment when a fire
control computer is not used, and the baseplate and bipod are for use if the
mortar is fired away from the vehicle.
Though the standard EE-11 Mortar Vehicle has no firing ports or vision
blocks in the sides or rear of the vehicle, the manufacturer will put one firing
port in each side of the vehicle and up to two in the rear if desired by the
buyer. There are two seats in the
rear, the other two crewmembers are the driver and commander.
Since the EE-11 Mortar Vehicle is not the biggest mortar carrier around,
the ammunition racks in the vehicle are not large; EE-11 Mortar Vehicles often
tow an ammunition trailer or are accompanied by an ammunition-carrying vehicle.
The EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle
This version has a small turret mounting a 60mm gun/mortar and a coaxial heavy
machinegun. The mortar is capable
of near-vertical elevation, but only slight depression; it can therefore conduct
conventional mortar indirect fire, or be fired in direct fire like a small
low-power cannon. The standard
commander’s cupola is deleted in this version; the commander is, instead, in the
turret (he has all-around vision blocks, but no weapon mount).
The turret is small and the gunner is seated mostly in the hull of the
vehicle, and the turret has only one hatch, normally for the commander.
The turret is capable of fairly quick traverse and can do a full rotation
in as little as 10 seconds. Fire
control is basic at best for direct fire (the figures listed below); however,
the EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle has perfectly adequate sights for indirect fire
which do not require aiming stakes to be set up, and a hand-held mortar fire
control is optional (but included in the price below). Depending upon the
buyer’s wishes, the EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle may have up to two firing ports in
each side and two in the rear; normally, however, the EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle
does not have firing ports or even vision blocks in the sides or rear.
Unlike the EE-11 Mortar Vehicle above, the Gun/Mortar Vehicle has no
provisions for ground mounting of the mortar (or the machinegun, for that
matter) away from the vehicle.
Though the rear of the vehicle is primarily filled with ammunition racks, there
is some space for equipment, and there are two folding seats for the two
crewmembers in the rear, who function as loaders as well as preparing the
charges on the mortar shells. The EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle is perfectly capable
of conducting normal fire support missions, but is also a capable scout vehicle,
and can even be used as a light assault gun vehicle.
Common Features
As with a
standard EE-11, the standard EE-11 Mortar Vehicles are powered by a
158-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine with manual transmission (an automatic
transmission is optional). In 1988,
most Brazilian EE-11 Mortar Vehicles were upgraded to use the same 6V53
212-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine as used on the M-113A2, along with an
automatic transmission as standard.
In addition, vehicle upgrades were offered with more powerful versions of the
6V53 developing either 230 or 260 horsepower.
(Generally, at the same time, the radios and night vision equipment was
also upgraded.) The EE-11 Mortar Vehicles have a 4x6 suspension, with the four
rear wheels being the drive wheels.
The suspension is designed for cross-country travel, and both the wheels and
tires are large, with run-flat tires.
The EE-11 Mortar Vehicles are amphibious, propelled in the water by waterjets
and to a lesser extent by the motion of the wheels.
The driver is in the front left and has
three wide-angle vision blocks to his front; the center block can be replaced
with a night vision block. A
removable windscreen can be fitted to protect the driver’s face and eyes from
dust, dirt and mud when he is driving with his head outside of his hatch; this
windscreen is of plastic panels in a canvas frame, and folds away and stows
inside the driver’s compartment when not in use.
There is a door in the rear of the vehicle, which may be opened by either
the crew or the driver. A second
door is on the left side opposite and slightly to the rear of the commander’s
cupola. On each front fender is a cluster of three smoke grenade launchers.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (153hp) |
$101,787 |
D, A |
600 kg |
14.8 tons |
4 |
13 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (212hp) |
$102,672 |
D, A |
600 kg |
14.8 tons |
4 |
13 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (230hp) |
$102,742 |
D, A |
600 kg |
14.8 tons |
4 |
13 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (260hp) |
$102,852 |
D, A |
600 kg |
14.8 tons |
4 |
13 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (153hp) |
$167,706 |
D, A |
540 kg |
15.3 tons |
5 |
13 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (212hp) |
$167,976 |
D, A |
540 kg |
15.3 tons |
5 |
13 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (230hp) |
$168,066 |
D, A |
540 kg |
15.3 tons |
5 |
13 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (260hp) |
$168,156 |
D, A |
540 kg |
15.3 tons |
5 |
13 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (153hp) |
113/57 |
31/16/3 |
380 |
58 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF10 HS4
HR3 |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (212hp) |
135/69 |
38/19/3 |
380 |
78 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF10 HS4
HR3 |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (230hp) |
144/73 |
40/20/4 |
380 |
85 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF10 HS4
HR3 |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (260hp) |
157/79 |
43/22/4 |
380 |
96 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF10 HS4
HR3 |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (153hp) |
110/55 |
30/16/3 |
380 |
60 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF4 TS3
TR3 HF10
HS4 HR3 |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (212hp) |
131/67 |
37/18/3 |
380 |
80 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF4 TS3
TR3 HF10
HS4 HR3 |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (230hp) |
140/71 |
39/19/4 |
380 |
88 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF4 TS3
TR3 HF10
HS4 HR3 |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (260hp) |
152/77 |
42/21/4 |
380 |
99 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF4 TS3
TR3 HF10
HS4 HR3 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
EE-11 Mortar Vehicle |
None |
None |
81mm M-936 Mortar or 120mm M-2 RAIADO mortar, MAG or M-2HB (C) |
36x81mm, or 30x120mm, 1260x7.62mm or 750x.50 |
EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle |
+1 |
Basic |
Thomson-Brandt 60mm Gun/Mortar, M-2HB |
62x60mm, 1260x.50 |