Munitions

ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade

Also known as
  • Granada ECIA de mortero de 81 mm
  • ECIA 81 mm mortar bomb
  • ECIA 81 mm mortar round
  • Granada ECIA 81 mm
  • M-832 81 mm illuminating mortar grenade
  • ECIA M-832 illuminating mortar grenade
  • ECIA 81 mm instruction mortar grenade

The ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade is a Spanish 81 mm mortar-bomb family associated with Esperanza y Cia, the historic ECIA mortar maker. Spanish defense records identify ECIA 81 mm M-832 illuminating and instruction mortar grenades, while later Spanish EOD reports document ECIA 81 mm mortar grenades as legacy ordnance. The L-65/81 link is treated as launcher-family context rather than a proven grenade designation.

ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade, 81 mm mortar grenade, Munitions
Image source: 81mm mortar rounds.png
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Spain
Type
81 mm mortar grenade
Service note
20th-century Spanish ECIA mortar ammunition documented in Spanish museum records and later EOD recoveries
Unit cost
Not publicly documented
Produced
20th century; ECIA specialized in mortars from the 1940s and closed its original facilities in 1994.
Number built
Not publicly stated

Specifications

Caliber
81 mm
Manufacturer
Esperanza y Cia (ECIA), Spain
Documented ECIA 81 mm types
Spanish defense records list ECIA 81 mm illuminating M-832 mortar grenades without fuzes and an ECIA 81 mm instruction mortar grenade.
Launcher context
Infodefensa identifies the L-65/81 as an 81 mm ECIA mortar model built by Esperanza y Cia; this supports compatibility context, not a grenade designation.
Representative construction
Representative 81 mm HE mortar bombs are fin-stabilized, use a forward fuze and rear tail unit, and carry primary plus incremental charges; this is generic 81 mm support, not ECIA-specific construction.
Documented recovery condition
Spanish EOD reporting identified ECIA 81 mm mortar grenades with all components in the Contreras reservoir case and with an intact explosive charge in the Sierra Cebollera case.
Variants

Available sources identify an ECIA 81 mm illuminating mortar-grenade type, but do not prove a full ECIA factory ammunition catalog tied specifically to the L-65/81 launcher.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
M-832 illuminating ECIA 81 mm mortar grenadeIlluminating round

Spanish defense records list original ECIA 81 mm illuminating M-832 mortar grenades without fuzes.

Sources: BOD 151/2025 Museo del Ejercito ECIA 81 mm grenades

Firing Mortars

RTVC identified this ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade in Gáldar, and ECIA family sources identify the matching L-65/81 81 mm mortar variant.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
ECIA L-65 mortar, Smoothbore mortar family, ArtilleryECIA L-65 mortarMortar launcher

The ECIA L-65 family sources identify an L-65/81 81 mm mortar variant, which is the paired launcher family for this grenade.

Sources: RTVC Galdar mortar grenade disposal, El Ejercito de Uruguay se apresta a recibir morteros espanoles ECIA L-6581 y L-65120

Timeline

ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade Key Events

  1. Gáldar round destroyed

    Guardia Civil explosive-disposal specialists destroyed an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade found in an annex room at a residence in Gáldar, Gran Canaria.

  2. Contreras reservoir round neutralized

    Europa Press reported that Guardia Civil divers found an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade with all components at El Embarcadero in the Contreras reservoir, after which a mixed underwater-disposal team was activated.

  3. Sierra Cebollera round destroyed

    Europa Press reported a controlled destruction of an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade found in Sierra Cebollera, La Rioja, after specialists confirmed the buried round still had its explosive charge.

Spanish EOD Recoveries

Public Spanish disposal reporting gives this entry its strongest exact identification evidence: the round is named in domestic Guardia Civil EOD incidents rather than in a direct battlefield-use record.

Residential recovery

The Gáldar case involved an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade stored in a room attached to a home and destroyed after safety checks.

Underwater recovery

The Contreras reservoir case placed an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade with all components in a submerged setting handled by Guardia Civil underwater and TEDAX-NRBQ specialists.

Explosive charge

The Sierra Cebollera case identified a buried ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade whose explosive charge was still intact before controlled destruction.

Media

ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade Videos

ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade Images

ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade, 81 mm mortar grenade, Munitions - view 1
Source: Lt. Col. Andrew Kostic shows an 81mm round
ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade, 81 mm mortar grenade, Munitions - view 2
Source: USMC 81 mm Mortar Platoon at Townshend Island
ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade, 81 mm mortar grenade, Munitions - view 3
Source: Mortero ECIA 81 mm.JPG
Related Weapon Systems
Mortar bombs, 82 mm, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 82 mm82 mm high-explosive mortar bombThis entry covers the 82 mm mortar-bomb caliber class rather than a single factory model. Sources document the class in insurgent and paramilitary materiel from Boko Haram-linked forces in the Lake Chad Basin, Islamic State stocks in Syria and Iraq, and RSF-associated PP87 mortar ammunition in Sudan, while manufacturer and ordnance references show that model-specific weight, filling, fuze, and range figures vary across O-832, PP87, HE, smoke, illumination, and extended-range families.
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81/82 mm mortar, 81/82 mm crew-served medium mortar, ArtilleryArtillery81/82 mm mortar81/82 mm crew-served medium mortarThe 81/82 mm mortar family covers the modern crew-served, muzzle-loaded, smoothbore indirect-fire class descended from the Stokes mortar lineage and still fielded worldwide in variant-specific forms. This is a family-level page: 81 mm L16/M252/M252A1/F2-type systems and 82 mm Soviet/Russian-pattern systems such as 2B14 and 2B24 share a medium-mortar battlefield role but are not interchangeable hardware. Conflict rows stay at the caliber or named-system level supported by the source, including Boko Haram/ISWAP recovered 81 mm equipment, Iraqi M252 training under Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Marine M252 use and Afghan Border Police 82 mm sustainment in Afghanistan, PKK 81/82 mm mortar use where no single model is identified, and Chadian 82 mm mortar training before operations in Mali.
Mortar bombs, 60mm, 60 mm mortar ammunition, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 60mm60 mm mortar ammunition60 mm mortar bombs are fin-stabilized light mortar rounds made in high-explosive, smoke, illumination, infrared-illumination, and training variants for portable 60 mm mortar tubes. This entry treats the caliber as a family rather than a single national model: Boko Haram/ISWAP evidence is based on recovered rounds and IED adaptation, Myanmar evidence includes both fired and air-dropped mortar rounds, and Ukrainian evidence covers 60 mm mortar shells integrated into FPV strike drones.

Sources

BOD 151/2025 Museo del Ejercito ECIA 81 mm grenadesPublisher: Ministerio de Defensa | Note: Spanish defense bulletin record listing original ECIA 81 mm M-832 illuminating mortar grenades without fuzes and an ECIA 81 mm instruction mortar grenade for museum handling. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Patrimonio Industrial de Euskadi Esperanza y CiaPublisher: Euskadi Industria Ondarea | Note: Supports ECIA company background, including the 1925 founding, 1932 relocation, 1940s mortar specialization, and 1994 closure of the original facilities. | Accessed: 2026-07-01RTVC Galdar mortar grenade disposalPublisher: RTVC | Note: Reports an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade found in a Gáldar home and later destroyed by Guardia Civil specialists. | Accessed: 2026-07-01El Ejercito de Uruguay se apresta a recibir morteros espanoles ECIA L-6581 y L-65120Publisher: Infodefensa | Note: Supports the ECIA L-65/81 and L-65/120 model background, Esperanza y Cia manufacture, and shared family components across the mortar line. | Accessed: 2026-07-0181mm Mortar AmmunitionPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports general 81 mm mortar-ammunition background, including the class of HE, practice, smoke, and illuminating rounds. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Bomb 81mm Mortar HEPublisher: Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India | Note: Supports representative 81 mm mortar-bomb construction details, including fin stabilization, forward fuze, tail unit, steel body, and primary plus secondary cartridges. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Neutralizada una granada de mortero en el embalse de ContrerasPublisher: Europa Press | Note: Reports a Guardia Civil underwater recovery and neutralization of an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade with all components in the Contreras reservoir. | Accessed: 2026-07-01La Guardia Civil en La Rioja destruye una granada de mortero en Sierra CebolleraPublisher: Europa Press | Note: Reports controlled destruction of an ECIA 81 mm mortar grenade found in Sierra Cebollera with its explosive charge intact. | Accessed: 2026-07-0181mm mortar rounds.pngPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary 81 mm mortar-round diagram. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Lt. Col. Andrew Kostic shows an 81mm roundPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an 81 mm mortar round shown in U.S. Marine Corps imagery. | Accessed: 2026-07-01USMC 81 mm Mortar Platoon at Townshend IslandPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an 81 mm mortar-round loading photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Mortero ECIA 81 mm.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for an ECIA 81 mm Model 1942 mortar photographed at the Museo Historico Militar de Cartagena, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01