Mortars

Mortars under the Navy's Procurement of Ammo, supports the Marine Corps' readiness for Littoral Operations in Contested Environments and Indo-Pacific. The program aims to procure various mortar cartridges, including 60MM and 81MM cartridges for high explosive, smoke, illumination, and full range training practice rounds. These munitions are essential for addressing force design requirements and providing warfighter training needs. The procurement is facilitated through the Joint Program Executive Office, Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A) / Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA) contracts, with a procurement lead time of 24-36 months.

The specific objectives of Program 1085 include supporting Force Design and Marine Corps readiness by addressing the munitions requirements for Lightweight and Medium Weight Mortar Systems. This includes the procurement of mortars such as DODIC C870 81MM M819 Smoke Red Phosphorus Cartridge, DODIC BA44 60MM M720A2 HE Cartridge, and DODIC CA63 81MM M889A4 HE Cartridge to meet baseline training munitions requirements. Additionally, the program aims to provide engineering support for DODIC BA15 60MM Full Range Training Practice Cartridges and DODIC C875 81MM Full Range Training Practice Cartridge. The budget decrease from FY 2023 to FY 2024 reflects adjustments in mortars requirements due to Marine Corps Force Design while ensuring the necessary procurement to meet warfighter training needs.