Nibe Limited has demonstrated the Garudastra long-range 120mm vehicle-mounted mortar system at the Infantry School in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. The demonstration showcased multiple capabilities including rapid shoot-and-scoot operations, Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI), a high rate of fire, and precision engagement using both GPS and laser-guided munitions.
Understanding Mortar Systems
A mortar is a short-barrelled indirect fire weapon system that launches explosive shells at a high angle, causing them to fall almost vertically on a target. While artillery guns offer greater range and firepower, mortars are lighter, more mobile, quicker to deploy, and better suited for supporting infantry operations in dynamic battlefield conditions.
Key Features of Garudastra
Developed in collaboration with a foreign OEM, Garudastra is designed to engage targets at ranges of 7-10 kilometers, allowing it to strike enemy positions from safer distances. It carries a 17kg penetrating warhead capable of defeating 20 cm of reinforced concrete, making it effective against bunkers and fortified positions.
Compared to smaller 81mm and 82mm mortars, the 120mm mortar is the most widely used heavy caliber, providing a balance of firepower, range, and mobility. The Garudastra uses soft-recoil technology, which allows it to be mounted on a lightweight 4x4 tactical vehicle.
Integration and Battlefield Dominance
Its ability to integrate with C4I and Battle Management Systems (BMS) enables it to receive real-time targeting information from drones, radars, and command networks. Drone feeds provide real-time target coordinates and course correction, improving responsiveness against mobile targets.
It is capable of burst fire at a rate of 12-16 rounds per minute and sustained firing at 3-4 rounds per minute. This high rate of fire gives the capability to rapidly neutralize moving targets and enhance battlefield dominance during critical phases of combat.
Shoot-and-Scoot Tactics
In the modern battlefield, increasingly dominated by drone surveillance and counter-battery radars, Garudastra's shoot-and-scoot capability gives it a significant advantage over conventional mortar systems. Shoot-and-scoot is a battlefield tactic in which a weapon system fires its rounds and quickly moves to a different location before the enemy can detect and target the firing position. When a mortar or artillery system fires, enemy counter-battery radars can track the projectile's trajectory, determine its launch location, and direct retaliatory fire against the firing position.
The tactic has become increasingly important in modern warfare due to the widespread use of drones, surveillance aircraft, counter-battery radars, and precision-guided weapons. Mounted on a vehicle platform, Garudastra can rapidly deploy, fire multiple rounds, and relocate before enemy forces can accurately determine its position and launch a counter-strike. Such tactics significantly enhance the survivability of mortar units while maintaining a continuous ability to provide fire support.
Precision Guidance
Garudastra's ability to employ GPS and laser-guided mortar munitions gives it an advantage over conventional mortars that rely solely on ballistic trajectory and area bombardment. GPS guidance uses satellite navigation coordinates to reach pre-designated targets, while laser guidance directs the shell to the laser energy reflected off the designated target by ground troops, drones, or forward observers. GPS-guided munitions reduce ammunition consumption and improve first-round hit probability.
Aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat
The system aligns with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of creating a robust indigenous defense industrial base capable of meeting the operational requirements of the Indian armed forces.
