Details of Sweden’s 120 mm Mjolner development emerge

Manned firing trials of the prototype/demonstrator of BAE Systems Hagglunds’ CV90 twin 120 mm Mjolner mortar system are now underway and it is expected that the Critical Design Review (CDR) will take place by the end of 2017, which will lead to the design freeze and allow production to commence.
When completed, the Mjolner system will enter Swedish Army service as the GRKPBV90.
Major Nils Carlsson, Future Organisation Mortar Development Officer of the Swedish Army provided additional details of the Mjolner programme at the Defence IQ Future Mortar conference held in London, UK.
Production of the twin 120 mm Mjolner turret systems will start in 2018 with deliveries to run from late 2018 or early 2019 through to 2020.
This work will be undertaken at the BAE Systems Hagglunds facility where the CV90 series platforms are being overhauled.
The turret will be built by BAE Systems Hagglunds with the twin 120 mm smooth bore barrels sourced from Slovakia.
Each of the five CV9040 mechanised battalions of the Swedish Army will be issued with eight CV90 twin 120 mm Mjolner mortar systems.
Each system will be supported by a Bv 206 tracked articulated all terrain load carrier that will carry additional 120 mm mortar ammunition.
The CV90 120 mm Mjolner system will fire the currently deployed 120 mm high-explosive (HE), smoke and illuminating projectiles, although in the longer term a more effective HE round with improved fragmentation effects could be procured.
It can also fire the Strix 120 mm top attack mortar bomb that was developed by the now Saab Dynamics and also sold to Switzerland. This has a maximum range of 7,500 m and is fitted with a nose-mounted infrared seeker and a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead that is designed to penetrate the vulnerable upper surfaces of main battle tanks (MBT) and other armoured fighting vehicles.

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