ECIA L-65 mortar

The ECIA L-65 is a Spanish mortar family built by Esperanza y Cia for infantry and vehicle-mounted indirect fire. In the Boko Haram Insurgency, open-source arms-control research lists an ECIA L-65 mortar among materiel in service with, or recovered from, Boko Haram factions, but does not identify the recovered caliber or confirm present holdings.

Boko Haram InsurgencyBoko Haram and ISWAP

Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Built by: Esperanza y Cia (ECIA)
Built in: Spain

ECIA L-65 mortar, Smoothbore mortar family, Artillery

Image source: ECIA L-65-120.JPG

Profile

Type: Smoothbore mortar family
Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Origin: Spain
Service note: Cold War-era Spanish mortar family documented in post-2015 Lake Chad basin arms evidence

artillery mortar indirect fire portable

Service History

In service: Used as an infantry and vehicle-mounted mortar family; documented in Lake Chad basin arms evidence after 2015.
Used by: Boko Haram factions, Spanish Army, Uruguayan Army
Wars: Boko Haram Insurgency

Production History

Designer: Esperanza y Cia
Designed: 1960s L-65 generation
Built by: Esperanza y Cia (ECIA)
Built in: Spain
Produced: At least 1960s production; a Spanish Army ECIA L-65 REM museum example is described as manufactured in 1969.
Variants: L-65/81 81 mm mortar, L-65/120 120 mm mortar, ECIA L-65 REM 120 mm mortar

Specifications

Caliber family: Documented L-65 variants include 81 mm L-65/81 and 120 mm L-65/120; the Boko Haram source does not identify the caliber.
Manufacturer: Esperanza y Cia (ECIA), Spain.
Configuration: Smoothbore indirect-fire mortar, used dismounted or vehicle-mounted depending on variant.
Ammunition role: Mortar projectiles for high-angle fire; a Spanish Army description of the 120 mm ECIA L-65 REM notes explosive or incendiary projectiles.
Interchangeability: Infodefensa reports common mounts, perpendicular goniometer, and firing mechanisms across L-65/81 and L-65/120 mortars.

Conflict Usage

Boko Haram Insurgency: Side: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured or recovered indirect-fire mortarstrike
Listed by IPIS/S4 among materiel in service with, or recovered from, Boko Haram factions in the Lake Chad basin; the source does not identify the exact L-65 caliber or indicate current holdings.

ECIA L-65 mortar Images

ECIA L-65 mortar, Smoothbore mortar family, Artillery - view 1 — Source: ECIA L-65-120.JPG

ECIA L-65 mortar, Smoothbore mortar family, Artillery - view 2 — Source: M-113 portamortero 120 mm.JPG

ECIA L-65 mortar, Smoothbore mortar family, Artillery - view 3 — Source: Mortero ECIA 120mm.JPG

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Sources

Sala de InfanteriaPublisher: Ejercito de Tierra | Note: Supports manufacturer and background context for a 120 mm ECIA L-65 REM mortar, described as built by ECIA in 1969. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 El Ejercito de Uruguay se apresta a recibir morteros espanoles ECIA L-6581 y L-65120Publisher: Infodefensa | Note: Supports L-65/81 and L-65/120 model background, Esperanza y Cia manufacture, Uruguayan Army service context, and shared components across the mortar family. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 The Management of Lethal Materiel in Conflict SettingsPublisher: International Peace Information Service | Note: Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use source: lists ECIA L-65 mortars as in service with, or recovered from, Boko Haram factions, supporting a cautious fielded by or recovered from claim. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 ECIA L-65-120.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for an ECIA L-65/120 mortar of the Spanish Army on an M-113, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 M-113 portamortero 120 mm.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a Spanish Army M-113 120 mm mortar carrier, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Mortero ECIA 120mm.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a 120 mm mortar manufactured by ECIA, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21