XM25 "good enough"

[Compost]

British Army infantry to revert to 81 mm mortar
Rupert Pengelley, London - IHS Jane's International Defence Review
04 November 2013

Key Points
• The UK forces' 81 mm mortar is to be kept in service
• The new mortar fire-control terminal enters service in 2014
The majority of the M6-640 Commando handheld and M6-895 bipod-type 60 mm mortars acquired in quantity from Hirtenberger by the British Army to meet urgent operational requirements (UORs) in Afghanistan since 2008 are to be shelved for economy reasons.

According to Major Haydn Jellard, a staff officer from the Dismounted Close Combat section of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Capability Directorate Combat who spoke at the Defence IQ Future Mortar Systems conference in London in October, once the drawdown from Afghanistan is complete, the Anglo-Canadian 81 mm L16A2 mortar will again be the only type on issue to standard infantry battalions in Reaction Force and Adaptive Force brigades.

See http://www.janes.com/article/29502/b...o-81-mm-mortar

[David I Evans]

See http://www.janes.com/article/29502/b...o-81-mm-mortar

so we withdraw the 51mm as no one can see a use for the type, promptly buy a 60mm on UOR as we suddenly discover a use for it and promptly retire the 60mm post Herrick as it doesn't fit some staff planner's clever thinking.

Welcome to the world of joined up thinking

[JMA]

Worse...

Look at the photo and see where the barrel of that soldier's rifle is.

so we withdraw the 51mm as no one can see a use for the type, promptly buy a 60mm on UOR as we suddenly discover a use for it and promptly retire the 60mm post Herrick as it doesn't fit some staff planner's clever thinking.

Welcome to the world of joined up thinking

[Compost]

so we withdraw the 51mm as no one can see a use for the type, promptly buy a 60mm on UOR as we suddenly discover a use for it and promptly retire the 60mm post Herrick as it doesn't fit some staff planner's clever thinking.

Welcome to the world of joined up thinking

Joined up and pop-centric thinking notwithstanding, “shelved” does not necessarily mean retired and scheduled for disposal. It can and probably does mean the 60mm has been transferred to reserve for issue dependent upon circumstances and physical environment.

[jcustis]

That was what I took it to mean as well. Perhaps going into depot-level stores for proper preservation.

I've always liked the 60. Light, capable of very good accuracy even in hand held mode, and not under-ammo'd when you use the right round and properly match it against the effects you want.