Artillery

MO-120 RT

Also known as
  • MO-120-RT
  • MO-120-RT61
  • MO-120 RT-61
  • MO 120 RT
  • 120 mm RT F1
  • RT F1
  • Mortier 120 mm raye tracte
  • Mortar 120mm F1

The MO-120 RT is a French 120 mm rifled towed heavy mortar developed by Brandt and later associated with TDA/Thales production. Its rifled barrel, two-wheel carriage, and rocket-assisted ammunition option give it longer range than many smoothbore infantry mortars, while keeping the system towable by light or medium vehicles. The family also appears through derivatives such as the U.S. Marine Corps M327 EFSS and Turkey's HY-12, giving the page conflict evidence from Ukraine, Mali, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Colombia.

MO-120 RT, 120 mm rifled towed heavy mortar, Artillery
Image source: Mortar 120mm F1.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Family And Firing Package

The MO-120 RT page covers a rifled 120 mm mortar family rather than a single national inventory item. That matters because documented conflict use often names national packages or licensed derivatives.

DesignationDocumented packageReader context
MO-120-RT-61 / RT F1French rifled towed heavy mortarThe baseline system combines a rifled 120 mm barrel with a two-wheel towing carriage and conventional or rocket-assisted ammunition.
M327 EFSSU.S. Marine Corps expeditionary fire-support systemThe Marine Corps package wrapped the 120 mm RT mortar into a light expeditionary set with vehicle, trailer, fire-control, and ammunition components.
HY-12 TosamTurkish-derived 120 mm rifled mortarColombian service reporting connects HY-12 mortars to the MO-120 RT lineage and documents their use as infantry fire-support weapons.
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm rifled mortar
Length
3.01 m
Tube length
2.080 m
Weight
About 582 kg
Range
About 8.1 km with standard rounds; up to about 13 km with rocket-assisted rounds
Rate of fire
Up to 18 rounds per minute maximum; about 10 rounds per minute normal
Elevation
+30 to +85 degrees
Traverse
14 degrees
Mobility
Fixed two-wheel carriage for towing by light truck or dedicated mortar tractor
Variants

The catalog treats MO-120 RT as a family page because several conflict-use records involve close derivatives rather than only French-built RT F1 mortars.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
M327 EFSSU.S. expeditionary fire-support package

The Marine Corps Expeditionary Fire Support System paired a 120 mm RT rifled mortar with a light vehicle, trailer, fire-control, and ammunition package for expeditionary units.

Sources: EFSS Ammunition, 26th MEU EFSS First Combat Rounds

HY-12 TosamTurkish MO-120 RT-derived mortar

Infodefensa describes Colombia's HY-12 as a Turkish version of the French MO-120 RT, with Colombian service and upgrade context.

Sources: El Ejercito de Colombia evalua actualizar sus morteros HY-12, Colombia despliega sus morteros turcos HY-12 en acciones de fuego real

Timeline

MO-120 RT Key Events

  1. Brandt develops a rifled 120 mm mortar

    The French Brandt design created the rifled, towed heavy-mortar family later known through MO-120 RT and RT F1 designations.

    Sources: 120mm MO-120-RT

  2. French service and export baseline

    Reference sources place the MO-120 RT-61 in early-1960s service and describe continuing use with French and export operators.

    Sources: MO-120 RT-61 (MO-120-RT) French 120mm Heavy Mortar, 120mm MO-120-RT

  3. M327 EFSS fires combat rounds in Afghanistan

    U.S. Marine Corps reporting from Combat Outpost Ouellette documented the M327 EFSS firing in Afghanistan with 26th MEU mortar Marines.

    Sources: 26th MEU EFSS First Combat Rounds

  4. French MO 120 RT documented at Gossi

    ECPAD cataloged a 93e RAM MO 120 RT being put into battery at Gossi, Mali.

    Sources: Mise en batterie d'un mortier de 120 mm raye tracte MO 120 RT a Gossi

  5. Belgian mortars reach Ukraine

    Open-source reporting documented four Belgian MO-120 RT mortars supplied to Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion.

    Sources: (No Longer) A Show Of Shame - Belgian Weapons Deliveries To Ukraine

  6. Colombia deploys HY-12 mortars in live fire

    Infodefensa reported Colombian Army HY-12 fire-support actions during operations against Estado Mayor Central dissidents.

    Sources: Colombia despliega sus morteros turcos HY-12 en acciones de fuego real

Media

MO-120 RT Videos

MO-120 RT Images

MO-120 RT, 120 mm rifled towed heavy mortar, Artillery - view 1
Source: USMC-110205-M-8012P-046.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
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120 mm M1982 mortar, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, ArtilleryArtillery120 mm M1982 mortar120 mm towed heavy mortarThe 120 mm M1982 mortar is a Romanian smoothbore heavy mortar built as a late Cold War replacement for older Reșița and Soviet PM-43-pattern 120 mm mortars. It combines a conventional tube, bipod, triangular baseplate, and two-wheel transport carriage with Romanian service adaptations for truck towing, short-distance crew movement, and mountain-troop pack transport. Direct conflict evidence is narrow but usable: Romanian troops are documented firing the M1982 in Afghanistan in 2008.
120 mm M75 mortar, 120 mm towed smoothbore mortar, ArtilleryArtillery120 mm M75 mortar120 mm towed smoothbore mortarThe 120 mm M75 mortar is a Yugoslav-designed towed smoothbore mortar associated with the M74/M75 light-mortar family and post-Yugoslav export literature. Yugoimport describes it as infantry close-support artillery for high-angle fire, smoke, illumination, and difficult terrain, while Serbian sources and later defense reporting show the legacy weapon being paired with modern fire-control equipment. Direct records place M75 mortars in JNA fire support around Dubrovnik in 1991 and in Armenian/Artsakh losses during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Sources

MO-120 RT-61 (MO-120-RT) French 120mm Heavy MortarPublisher: U.S. Army ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide | Note: Supports official reference background for the MO-120 RT-61 heavy mortar and its role as a 120 mm rifled towed mortar. | Accessed: 2026-07-07120mm MO-120-RTPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports specifications, development background, designations, and producer/manufacturer context. | Accessed: 2026-07-07(No Longer) A Show Of Shame - Belgian Weapons Deliveries To UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Documents four 120 mm MO-120 RT mortars supplied to Ukraine by Belgium in November 2022 for the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Ukrainian Soldiers Pictured Firing French Heavy 120mm MortarsPublisher: Forces News | Note: Reports French MO-120 RT mortars used by Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut in Donetsk region during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-07-0726th MEU EFSS First Combat RoundsPublisher: U.S. Marine Corps | Note: Direct 2001 War in Afghanistan conflict-use source documenting 26th MEU Marines firing the M327 Expeditionary Fire Support System from Combat Outpost Ouellette in Helmand Province in January 2011, reported in February 2011. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Mise en batterie d'un mortier de 120 mm raye tracte MO 120 RT a GossiPublisher: ImagesDefense / ECPAD | Note: Direct 2012 Mali War conflict-use source documenting a 93e RAM MO 120 RT in Mali during Operation Barkhane and 120 mm illuminating mortar fire during Operation Bourgou 3. | Accessed: 2026-07-07War in Yemen, Made in Europe: The Land WarPublisher: Arms Trade Watch | Note: Direct 2014 Yemen Civil War conflict-use source documenting Saudi use of French-built 120 mm RT mortars and Saudi border artillery activity during the Yemen land war. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Amnesty 2019 French Arms Exports Yemen MortarsPublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Direct 2014 Yemen Civil War conflict-use source documenting Saudi land forces deploying TDA Armements 120 mm RT mortars and ammunition during the Yemen conflict. | Accessed: 2026-07-07EFSS AmmunitionPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports M327 EFSS background as a 120 mm rifled mortar expeditionary fire-support package with vehicle, trailer, ammunition, and fire-control components. | Accessed: 2026-07-07El Ejercito de Colombia evalua actualizar sus morteros HY-12Publisher: Infodefensa | Note: Supports background that the MKEK HY-12 is a Turkish version of the French MO-120 RT and gives range context for Colombian HY-12 mortars. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Colombia despliega sus morteros turcos HY-12 en acciones de fuego realPublisher: Infodefensa | Note: Direct 2016 Colombian FARC Dissident Conflict conflict-use source documenting Colombian Army HY-12 mortar fire support against Estado Mayor Central dissidents in southwest Colombia. | Accessed: 2026-07-07USMC-110205-M-8012P-046.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain U.S. Marine Corps source context for an M327 EFSS firing at Forward Operating Base Dwyer, Afghanistan. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Mortar 120mm F1.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a MO-120 RT / Mortier 120 mm F1 photograph, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by the uploader. | Accessed: 2026-07-07