Artillery

M996 mortar projectile

Also known as
  • M996/M930E1
  • M930E1
  • M996 120 mm illuminating mortar bomb
  • 120 mm M996 illumination mortar projectile

The M996 is an Israeli 120 mm visible-light illumination mortar bomb cataloged by Elbit Systems Land as M996/M930E1. Elbit lists a 7,000 m range, more than 50 seconds of illumination, and 1 million candela output, while OSMP records M996 parts in Gaza during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

M996 mortar projectile, 120 mm visible-light illuminating mortar bomb, Artillery
Image source: 120mm mortar bomb illuminating, photographed at the Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum.JPG

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Israel
Type
120 mm visible-light illuminating mortar bomb
Service note
Current-service illuminating mortar ammunition
Unit cost
Reported at $2,140 per round for the comparable M930 visible-light illuminating cartridge in FY 2005 U.S. Army budget materials; a public M996-specific unit price was not found.

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm
Munition type
Illuminating mortar bomb
Range
Up to 7,000 m
Illumination duration
More than 50 seconds
Intensity
1 million cd
Fuze
Time fuze
Documented function
Visible-light target-area illumination from a 120 mm mortar projectile
Compatible systems
Any suitable and qualified smoothbore mortar systems in the customer's inventory
Fired by 120 mm Mortars

Elbit catalogs M996/M930E1 in its 120 mm mortar-bomb portfolio and describes compatibility with suitable, qualified smoothbore mortar systems.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
120 mm mortar, Heavy mortar, Artillery120 mm mortar120 mm smoothbore mortar system

The Elbit portfolio identifies M996/M930E1 as a 120 mm illuminating bomb with a time fuze and compatibility with qualified smoothbore mortar systems.

Sources: Mortar Ammunition Portfolio

Designation And Illumination Context

Elbit's mortar ammunition portfolio treats the round as M996/M930E1, a 120 mm illuminating bomb for qualified smoothbore mortar systems. M930-family references provide additional context for the visible-light illumination role without replacing the M996-specific Elbit and OSMP evidence.

TopicDetailSource
DesignationM996/M930E1 is the combined designation used in Elbit's mortar ammunition portfolio.Mortar Ammunition Portfolio
Illumination roleM930-family visible-light cartridges are described as target-area illumination rounds for 120 mm mortar systems.M930 cartridge overview
Cost referenceFY 2005 Army budget materials list the comparable M930 visible-light illuminating cartridge at $2,140 per round.M930 FY2005 unit cost
Timeline

M996 mortar projectile Key Events

  1. U.S. budget materials publish a cost reference

    Army budget materials list the comparable M930 visible-light illuminating cartridge at $2,140 per round, giving a public price point for the same 120 mm illumination family.

    Sources: M930 FY2005 unit cost

  2. OSMP records M996 parts in Gaza

    Open Source Munitions Portal entries OSMP 566 and OSMP 567 record M996 120 mm illumination-munition parts in Gaza, including delivered and functioned components.

    Sources: OSMP 566, OSMP 567

  3. Elbit catalogs M996/M930E1

    Elbit's mortar ammunition portfolio lists the M996/M930E1 as a 120 mm illuminating bomb with a 7,000 m range, more than 50 seconds of illumination, and 1 million candela output.

    Sources: Mortar Ammunition Portfolio

Media

M996 mortar projectile Images

M996 mortar projectile, 120 mm visible-light illuminating mortar bomb, Artillery - view 1
Source: Mortar night fire 140318-A-TW035-307.jpg
M996 mortar projectile, 120 mm visible-light illuminating mortar bomb, Artillery - view 2
Source: Light up the night (6285977).jpg
Related Weapon Systems
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Sources

Mortar Ammunition PortfolioPublisher: Elbit Systems Land | Note: Supports M996/M930E1 manufacturer background, current-service portfolio context, 120 mm visible-light illuminating mortar-bomb designation, 7,000 m range, more than 50 seconds of light, 1 million candela output, time fuze, M930 qualification wording, and compatibility with suitable smoothbore mortars. | Accessed: 2026-07-01M996Publisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: Supports model-level 2023 Israel-Hamas War context for M996 entries in Gaza and links to the individual OSMP 566 and OSMP 567 records. | Accessed: 2026-07-01OSMP 566Publisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use context by recording M996 120 mm illumination-munition parts observed in Gaza on 2024-06-08, with the entry categorized as delivered and functioned. | Accessed: 2026-07-01OSMP 567Publisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use context by recording additional M996 120 mm illumination-munition parts observed in Gaza on 2024-06-08, including Hebrew and numerical markings and delivered/functioned status. | Accessed: 2026-07-01M930 cartridge overviewPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports background context for the M930-family 120 mm visible-light illumination cartridge role, including target-area illumination from a 120 mm mortar projectile. | Accessed: 2026-07-01M930 FY2005 unit costPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the FY 2005 budget-table price reference for the comparable M930 visible-light illuminating cartridge at $2,140 per round. | Accessed: 2026-07-01120mm mortar bomb illuminating, photographed at the Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain attribution for the representative illumination mortar round image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Mortar night fire 140318-A-TW035-307.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain attribution for the night-fire mortar illumination image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Light up the night (6285977).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain attribution for the additional mortar illumination image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20