I came across this cool photo today, and I thought I’d share it with Team SOFREP.
Here we see Navy SEAL Tommy Richardson helping out guys from the 82nd Airborne by standing on the base plate of one of their M252 81mm mortars as they get off their first shot in Afghanistan. He has his hand on the shoulders of the guy with his fingers in his ears to help steady himself. This is an example of Army/Navy teamwork at its finest.
A Bit About the M252 81mm Mortar
When a battalion sets up in the field, the M252 mortar is the dependable workhorse quietly ready to send steel downrange—a medium-weight, muzzle-loaded marvel that’s been lending a deadly whisper to indirect fire since the late 1980s. Born from British engineering—the L16A2—but assembled with American refinement, the M252 entered U.S. service around 1987, replacing the clunky M29 with something that was more accurate, more lethal, and grazed a few more meters on its rounds’ arc.
Let’s talk about what makes it tick:
It’s not just one chunk of metal—it’s a kit: a cannon (the M253 tube), a M177 bipod/mount, a stout M3A1 baseplate, and an M64A1 optical sight. Altogether, you’re lugging around about 91 pounds (41 kg). The cannon is finned at its base for cooling—though the grunts say it doesn’t do much—but the muzzle wears a blast attenuation device (BAD) to protect the crew from scorching bouts of smoke and noise.
In action, it’s deceptively graceful: fire rates hover around 8 to 16 rounds per minute, but in a pinch, the crew can squeeze out up to 30 rounds a minute—for just a short burst. The firing arc? A steep 45° to 85°, covering ranges from mere 100 meters to nearly 6,000 meters, depending on charges and ammo—about 4,500 to 5,650 meters on average, with some reaching up to 5,935 meters.
Crew setup:
You’re typically looking at 3 to 5 soldiers—depending on doctrine—who step into roles like gunner, assistant, ammo bearers, even a squad lead coordinating fire. They’re trained in the fine art of loading, aiming, and firing under pressure.
Munitions are versatile:
From classic high-explosive rounds and smoke (including white/phosphorus variants), to visible and IR illumination shells, plus practice rounds—the M252 handles them all. Some advanced fuzes like proximity or multi-option types allow for detonation in air, on impact, or on delay—depending on mission needs.
Lightweight evolution:
- The M252A1 emerged around 2014–2016, trimming about 12 pounds (5–6 kg) from the original weight by using materials like aluminum, titanium, Kevlar, and even greaseless internal gears. Yet it preserved the original’s range, durability, and firing rate.
- The M252A2, developed by the Marines, knocked off roughly 18 pounds (8 kg) and added a 4× magnification sight plus enhanced cooling—always chasing that extra edge.
Across the globe:
While the U.S. leads in use, countries like Canada, the U.K., Germany, Australia, Iraq, Estonia, and more have found the M252’s blend of range, accuracy, and mobility hard to resist.