At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2025, held in Brno, Czech Republic, from May 28 to 30, the Slovak company ZTS-Špecial unveiled the AM120 120 mm self-propelled mortar (Automatický mínomet kalibru 120 mm), mounted on a Tatra Force 815-7 6×6 truck chassis.
Photos: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The chassis features a Puma L2 Long armored cabin, providing protection for two or four crew members. The automatic turret allows remote operation of the mortar from inside the vehicle, with a backup operator station in the turret for redundancy. The Tatra chassis ensures high mobility for the mortar system, thanks to a 300 kW engine, allowing a top road speed of up to 90 km/h.
The 120 mm mortar offers a firing range of 504 to 8,600 meters, with a rate of fire of 18–20 rounds per minute and a carousel autoloader capable of holding up to 60 mortar rounds. The system features an elevation range of 40° to 80°, full 360° turret rotation, and the LANSYS fire control system developed by Kerametal.
The vehicle measures 8,340 mm in length, 3,220 mm in height, and 2,550 mm in width. The unit cost is estimated at 1.5–2 million USD.
The AM120 mortar made its debut on May 16, 2024, at the IDEB Defence & Security 2024 exhibition in Bratislava, where it was presented by ZTS Špeciál and its partners, including to Slovak Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák. The system has been under development since 2022.
At the time, Minister Kaliňák stated that the ministry intends to gradually introduce new products of the Slovak defense industry into service — whether the BIA howitzer (currently designated as Eva M2) or the AM120 mortar. As he added, “These are the systems we want to have in our arsenal as soon as possible.”
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