M326 120-mm Mortar QuickStow System

The M326 120-mm Mortar System was developed by BAE Systems to make it easier for Soldiers to quickly set-up and take down the M120 120-mm Mortar system on the battlefield.

The M326 is a simple and rugged device that can be easily attached to the M1101 Trailer, High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or a variety of other vehicles that serve as a prime mover for 120-mm mortar systems. It significantly reduces mortar crew workload by using a hydraulic system to hoist the fully assembled M120 Mortar, which weighs more than 300 pounds, into and out of the trailer or vehicle used to haul the weapon.

The assembled mortar base plate, tube and bipod are held together as a unit by a steel strut that connects the mortar to the M326 lift arm. The hydraulic lifting enables rapid weapon set-up and removal. During tests, mount and dismount of a fully assembled M120 Mortar have been achieved in less than 20 seconds.

In September 2007, BAE Systems received a $13.9 million contract from the U.S. Army’s Product Manager – Mortar Systems (PM-MS) to procure 588 of the M326 systems.

The contract calls for BAE Systems to begin low-rate initial production immediately and deliver the first 52 M326 systems to the Army by September 2008. BAE Systems will deliver an additional 536 systems through full-rate production, which will begin immediately following LRIP completion. The systems will be assembled at BAE Systems’ Louisville, Ky., facility.

The contract also includes options for funding the delivery of up to 100 additional systems as well as new equipment training, installation, warehousing and spares. If all options are exercised, the contract could grow to $20.5 million.