New mortar packs larger punch in smaller, safer package

U.S. Joint Munitions Command has approved full materiel release (FMR) of the M1061 60mm Mortar cartridge. During the initial phases of development, Orbital ATK produced more than 12,000 M1061 cartridges for the U.S. Army and its customers, 1,000 of which were sent to theater ahead of FMR.

Full materiel release signifies that the U.S. Army has rigorously tested and evaluated the warhead and determined it is safe, operationally suitable and logistically supportable for use. The M1061’s performance-enhancing fragmentation technology has been successfully tested on warheads ranging in size from 0.5 to 250 lbs.

M1061 warheads with LEO technology achieved increased wide-area effects as compared with conventional warheads.

The M1061 is a 60mm high-explosive cartridge developed as a result of collaboration between Orbital ATK and teammate Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland Ltd., and the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at the Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. The goal of the program was to increase the effectiveness of the 60mm mortar while improving its insensitive munitions characteristics.