X-1A Mortar Vehicle

     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

$26,754

D, A

400 kg

15 tons

4

10

Headlights

Enclosed

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

142/99

33/23

320

148

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 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 not 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. 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)

$53,212

D, A

600 kg

14.8 tons

4

10

Passive IR (D)

Enclosed

EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (212hp)

$46,912

D, A

600 kg

14.8 tons

4

10

Passive IR (D)

Enclosed

EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (230hp)

$46,982

D, A

600 kg

14.8 tons

4

10

Passive IR (D)

Enclosed

EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (260hp)

$47,092

D, A

600 kg

14.8 tons

4

10

Passive IR (D)

Enclosed

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (153hp)

$107,406

D, A

540 kg

15.3 tons

5

10

Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G)

Enclosed

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (212hp)

$81,626

D, A

540 kg

15.3 tons

5

10

Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G)

Enclosed

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (230hp)

$81,696

D, A

540 kg

15.3 tons

5

10

Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G)

Enclosed

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (260hp)

$81,806

D, A

540 kg

15.3 tons

5

10

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)

105/53

29/14/3

380

84

Stnd

W(3)

HF10  HS4  HR3

EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (212hp)

128/68

36/17/4

380

114

Stnd

W(3)

HF10  HS4  HR3

EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (230hp)

135/70

37/18/4

380

124

Stnd

W(3)

HF10  HS4  HR3

EE-11 Mortar Vehicle (260hp)

148/76

41/20/4

380

142

Stnd

W(3)

HF10  HS4  HR3

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (153hp)

97/49

26/13/3

380

86

Trtd

W(3)

TF4  TS3  TR3  HF10  HS4  HR3

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (212hp)

118/60

32/16/3

380

119

Trtd

W(3)

TF4  TS3  TR3  HF10  HS4  HR3

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (230hp)

125/63

33/17/3

380

130

Trtd

W(3)

TF4  TS3  TR3  HF10  HS4  HR3

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle (260hp)

137/69

37/18/4

380

149

Trtd

W(3)

TF4  TS3  TR3  HF10  HS4  HR3

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

EE-11 Mortar Vehicle

None

None

81mm Mortar, MAG or M-2HB (C)

36x81mm, 1260x7.62mm or 750x.50

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle

+1

Basic

Thomson-Brandt 60mm Gun/Mortar, M-2HB

62x60mm, 1260x.50

 

EE-11 Gun/Mortar Vehicle

     Notes:  This is a variant of the EE-11 Urutu with a turret mounting a TDA 60mm gun/mortar.  This weapon is capable of conventional indirect fire, or can be direct-fired like a small cannon.  The turret is small, light, and inexpensive, yet very capable.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$114,100

D, A

1.2 tons

15.55 tons

5

5

Passive IR

Enclosed

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

179/107

38/23/4

380

96

Trtd

W(3)

TF3  TS2  TR2  HF10  HS4  HR3

 

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

+2

Basic

60mm Gun/Mortar, MAG

65x60mm, 2000x7.62mm