Profile
- Type
- 120mm high-explosive mortar cartridge
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- Modern service round
Artillery
M933-series mortar projectile
The M933-series mortar projectile is a U.S. 120mm high-explosive mortar cartridge family centered on the M933A1, a service round for M120 and M121 mortar systems. In the Israel-Hamas War, the United States approved a Foreign Military Sale to Israel for 50,400 M933A1 cartridges in August 2024.
Service History
- In service
- Fielded with U.S. 120mm mortar units; the M933A1 was described by the Army as suitable for training and combat use
- Used by
- United States Army
Production History
- Built in
- Canada
- Variants
- M933A1
Specifications
- Caliber
- 120 mm
- Range
- 200 m minimum to 7,200 m maximum
- Weight
- 30.2 lb
- Length
- 27.99 in
- Fuze
- M783 point detonating/delay fuze
- Fill
- Composition B
Conflict Usage
- Israel-Hamas War
- Side: IsraelRole: High-explosive indirect fire support
Supplied to Israel during the Israel-Hamas War through a U.S. Foreign Military Sale announced on August 13, 2024; deliveries were estimated to begin in 2026.
M933-series mortar projectile Images
Related Weapon Systems
120 mm M75 mortar120 mm towed smoothbore mortarThe 120 mm M75 mortar is a Yugoslav-designed towed smoothbore mortar for infantry fire support, smoke, illumination, and high-angle indirect fire in broken terrain. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, open-source loss documentation places M75 mortars with Armenian/Artsakh forces during the 2020 war, where several were destroyed or captured.
M824 60 mm illumination mortar projectile60 mm illumination mortar projectileThe M824 is a 60 mm illumination mortar projectile in Elbit Systems Land's mortar ammunition portfolio. It carries a parachute-retarded flare that burns for about 35 seconds, reaches roughly 2.2 km, and was documented in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas War as a delivered illumination round for nighttime indirect-fire support.
120-PM-38120 mm towed heavy mortarThe 120-PM-38, also known as the M1938, is a Soviet 120 mm smoothbore heavy mortar designed under B. I. Shavyrin and built for infantry fire support. Its large mortar bomb, wheeled transport arrangement, and roughly 5.7 km range made it a durable Soviet artillery design, with Ukrainian stocks documented around the Russia-Ukraine War and pre-war Yemeni Army stocks listed in Yemen Civil War equipment references.
2B14 Podnos82 mm smoothbore mortarThe 2B14 Podnos is a Soviet 82 mm smoothbore mortar developed in the early 1980s as a lighter, longer-ranged replacement for older battalion mortars. Its portable barrel, baseplate, and bipod loads make it suitable for light infantry fire support, and OSCE reporting documents Podnos mortars on both sides of the Donbas front during the Russia-Ukraine War.
2S12 Sani120 mm heavy mortar systemThe 2S12 Sani is a Soviet/Russian 120 mm mortar system built around the 2B11 mortar, a wheeled carriage, and a transport vehicle. It gives battalion-level units a mobile indirect-fire weapon with a roughly 7 km range, and modernized 2S12A systems on Ural-based vehicles have continued to appear in Russian supply and combat reporting during the Russia-Ukraine War.
60 mm M57 mortar60 mm light infantry mortarThe 60 mm M57 is a Yugoslav-pattern light infantry mortar now listed by Serbian manufacturer PPT Namenska. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, open-source loss documentation recorded M57 mortars captured from Armenian forces, tying the portable short-range fire-support weapon to the 2020 fighting.Sources
Procurement of Ammunition, Army FY 2022Publisher: Department of the Army | Note: Supports the M933 series description, service use, combat use, range, weight, fill, fin assembly, and fuze details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20120MM M933A1 HEPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer background and the M933A1 cartridge's configuration, range, weight, and fielding status. | Accessed: 2026-06-20DSCA Israel M933A1 mortar cartridges notificationPublisher: Defense Security Cooperation Agency | Note: Israel-Hamas War supply context: M933A1 cartridges supplied to Israel during the Israel-Hamas War in an August 13, 2024 Foreign Military Sale notification; deliveries were estimated to begin in 2026. | Accessed: 2026-06-20ASDNews M933A1 article imagePublisher: ASDNews | Note: Image provenance for the M933A1 projectile photo used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons 120mm mortar shellPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Open-license illustrative image of a generic 120mm mortar shell used as a secondary gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20