Silent mortar

[poikilotrm]

Mighty short range. I am thinking this is maybe a rocket of some kind, or it has a paper baffle system like those self silencing shotgun shells from the 1970s.

Advanced silent mortars start arriving for Russian Army
Military & Defense
May 07, 13:10 UTC+3
According to a defence industry source, the 2B25 mortar is capable of silently destroying a target at a distance of over 1 km
More: http://tass.com/defense/1057266

The Russian Army has started to receive the most advanced 2B25 ‘Gull’ silent mortars, a source in the defense industry told TASS on Tuesday.

"The deliveries of 2B25 silent mortars to the troops have begun. In particular, special-purpose units received several dozen such mortars recently. During its operation, the Gull proved its worth as an easy-to-operate and reliable weapon, which is actually stealthy," the source said.

The 2B25 mortar is capable of silently destroying a target at a distance of over 1 km, the source added.

The deliveries of 2B25 mortars to the Russian Army will be continued, the source said, without giving any other details.

Russia will further carry out its work to improve silent mortars, the source noted. "Currently, specialists are studying the possibility of developing a silent mortar of a smaller caliber, presumably, a 60mm gun capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 3.5-4 km."

The 82mm 2B25 ‘Gull’ mortar has been developed by the Burevestnik Central Research and Development Institute (part of the Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer within the state hi-tech corporation Rostec). The mortar’s stated characteristics suggest that it is capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 1,200 m and at a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute. The 2B25 is currently the sole silent mortar on the world arms market.

[johndoe3]

This may sound dumb (I have no familiarity with mortars except on TV), but could they be using some kind of silent mechanical system to launch assist the mortar, like the annual pumpkin chunkin competition? It would be like a catapult launched grenade.

[poikilotrm]

No idea. The cold launch canisters on Stingers are small, and only pop the missile a few feet away from the launcher. In order to use a cold gas launch system, you would need an ungodly amount of support and supply.

I am sure the short range is strongly tied to the reduced report.

The only feasible thing I can think of for a truly silent mortar would be an electromagnetic launching system, but that would require vehicle mounting and a strong generator.