Philippine Army to Buy Mortar Carries, BMS from Elbit

As part of the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, Elbit Systems will provide the Army with armored mortar carriers, battlefield management systems, and remote-controlled weapon systems

Elbit Systems will supply 15 Armored Mortar Carriers to the Philippine Army, MaxDefense reported Saturday.

The Cardom 120mm Recoil Mortar System will be mounted on the Army’s M113 armored vehicles, according to the report. The system has a range of 7,000 meters and a maximum fire rate of 16 rounds per minute. It can be used in "shoot and scoot" manner and can be operated by two or four crewmen.

Another part of the deal is the platform where the Cardom mortars will be installed, and Elbit will deliver 15 refurbished and upgraded M113A2 tracked armored vehicles.

The deal will also include Elbit’s Combat NG Battlefield Management System, which is already in use with the Philippine Army. The Combat NG is a command, control, communications and intelligence (C3I) system designed to improve artillery and air defense unit's ability to engage targets by improving its target engagement speed and accuracy, provide real-time situational awareness, and provide coordination capability with other forces.

Elbit Systems will also provide conversion 120mm barrels for five Cardom 81mm autonomous recoil mortar systems the Philippine Army ordered in January 2018. The 81mm mortars are part of the Philippine Army's M113 Firepower Upgrade project that also includes the supply of 44 remote controlled weapon systems (RCWS) for the Philippine Army's fleet of M113A2 armored vehicles scheduled to be delivered this year.

The project is part of a G2G deal between the Philippines and Israel, valued at approx. $20 million. According to MaxDefense, deliveries may be completed by the end of 2020.

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