Cardom

The Cardom (English: Hatchet, stands for Computerized Autonomous Recoil Rapid Deployed Outrange Mortar)^[1] is an Israeli 81 mm/120 mm recoil mortar system (RMS), manufactured by Soltam Systems. It is used by the United States Army, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), NATO countries, and others. The Cardom is an autonomous, computerized system for mounting on light and medium armored carriers. The system provides accurate and effective fire support.

Cardom
Cardom 120 mm recoil mortar system
Type	Recoil mortar system
Place of origin	Israel
Service history
In service	2003-present
Used by	US army, IDF, NATO forces and more
Wars	List of Conflicts War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War Syrian civil war 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Production history
Manufacturer	Soltam Systems
Specifications
Caliber	81 mm or 120 mm
Rate of fire	16 rounds per min, 4 rpm sustained

Overview

The system uses a new computerized integrated navigation and self-positioning and aiming systems. Its modern target acquisition devices, together with a specially designed recoiling mortar system, attenuate the firing loads and enables mounting the systems on wheeled and tracked armoured fighting vehicles, or even soft-skinned vehicles such as trucks. The system's aiming mechanisms are linked to state-of-the-art command, control and communication systems, to achieve quick response automatic laying mode. The Cardom system takes target-acquisition data that provides range, bearing, position and other data from an observation point and transmits it directly to the Cardom system. Using electrical servo motors, the mortar barrel is then set at the exact traverse and elevation angles to fire upon the target. The 120 mm Cardom has a burst rate of 16 rpm, followed by a 4 rpm sustained rate of fire.

Foreign Use

IDF "Keshet" 120mm mortar

The Cardom recoil mortar system has been qualified for fielding with the 3rd US Army Stryker brigade, and will be coupled with the M95 mortar's fire control system on the M1129 mortar carrier. So far, over 320 mortar systems have been manufactured for the U.S. Army.

Performance

Cardom on a US M1129 mortar carrier in operation in Iraq

• Range: 7,000-8,000 meters
• Calibre: 120/81mm smoothbore and rifled
• Max rate of fire: 16 rounds per minute
• Traverse (deg): 360
• Shoot of first round: less than 30 sec
• Crew: 2-4 dependent on carrier
• Dual mode: mounted and dismounted

Operators

120 mm Cardom 10 recoil mortar system fired from Piranha V of the Royal Danish Army

 Azerbaijan

• Azerbaijani Land Forces^[2][3]

 Bahrain

• Royal Bahraini Army special forces (purchased to Spain, fitted on the URO VAMTAC) ^[4]

 Chile

• Chilean Army^[5]

 Cameroon

• Cameroon Army^[2]

 Denmark

• Royal Danish Army (also known as M/10 or Cardom 10)^[6]

 Israel

• Israeli Army^[7][8]

 Kazakhstan

• Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan^[2]

 Portugal

• Portuguese Army^[2]

 Philippines

• Philippine Army^[9]

 Spain

• Spanish Army^[10]

 Thailand

• Royal Thai Army^[11]

 Uganda

• Uganda Army^[2]

 United States

• United States Army^[2]

 Zambia

• Zambian Army^[12]

See also

• M1129 mortar carrier – (United States)
• AMOS – (Finland)
• Patria NEMO – (Finland)
• Soltam 120 mm mortar system – (Israel)
• Soltam 155 mm mobile howitzer – (Israel)
• Light-weight combat vehicle – (Japan)