120 mm mortar launcher

A 120 mm mortar launcher is a heavy crew-served indirect-fire weapon used to fire high-angle mortar bombs from a tube, baseplate, and bipod or from a vehicle mount. In the Boko Haram Insurgency, the documented case here is a Nigerien report that a 120-mm mortar was seized from Boko Haram fighters in the Lake Chad region, so the entry treats the system as an insurgent-held heavy mortar rather than a precisely identified national model.

Boko Haram InsurgencyBoko Haram and ISWAP

Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Built by: Various manufacturers
Built in: Multiple countries

120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, Artillery

Image source: 120-millimetre calibre mortar 001.jpg

Profile

Type: Heavy mortar launcher
Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Origin: Multiple countries
Service note: Modern conflict use; 120 mm mortar designs remain in service in towed, ground-mounted, and vehicle-mounted forms.

artillery mortar indirect fire

Service History

In service: Widely used heavy mortar caliber in modern ground forces and non-state armed groups when captured or diverted
Used by: Boko Haram fighters
Wars: Boko Haram Insurgency

Production History

Designer: Varies by model
Designed: Varies by model
Built by: Various manufacturers
Built in: Multiple countries
Unit cost: Varies by model and configuration
Produced: Multiple production periods across national designs
Number built: Not applicable to a generic caliber class
Variants: Ground-mounted smoothbore 120 mm mortars, Towed 120 mm mortar systems, Vehicle-mounted 120 mm mortar systems, Rifled 120 mm mortar systems

Specifications

Caliber: 120 mm
Configuration: Tube, bipod, baseplate, sight, and fire-control equipment on many ground-mounted systems; some variants are towed or vehicle-mounted
Range: Common modern 120 mm systems reach about 7.2-9.5 km depending on model and ammunition
Rate of fire: U.S. M120A1/M121 data list up to 16 rounds in the first minute and 4 rounds per minute sustained
Weight: Varies by model; U.S. M120A1/M121 firing-position weights are about 317-318 lb (144 kg)
Ammunition: 120 mm mortar bombs, commonly including high-explosive, smoke, illumination, and specialized guided rounds depending on system

Conflict Usage

Boko Haram Insurgency: Side: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured heavy indirect-fire mortarstrike
Niger reported seizing a 120-mm mortar from Boko Haram fighters during a March 2019 Lake Chad operation, documenting insurgent possession of a heavy indirect-fire weapon without identifying the exact model.

120 mm mortar launcher Images

120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, Artillery - view 1 — Source: 120-millimetre calibre mortar 001.jpg

120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, Artillery - view 2 — Source: Soldiers firing a M120 120mm mortar (Iraq).jpg

120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, Artillery - view 3 — Source: Romanian 120mm mortar.jpg

120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, Artillery - view 4 — Source: Mortar 120mm F1.jpg

Related Weapon Systems

ECIA L-65 mortar, Smoothbore mortar family, Artillery

ArtilleryECIA L-65 mortarSmoothbore mortar familyThe 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.

120 mm M75 mortar, 120 mm towed smoothbore mortar, Artillery

Artillery120 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.

120 mm mortar, Heavy mortar, Artillery

Artillery120 mm mortarHeavy mortarThe 120 mm mortar is a heavy, muzzle-loaded indirect-fire weapon class used worldwide in towed, dismounted, and vehicle-mounted forms. During the 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes, Pakistani gunners fired 120 mm mortars across the Line of Control, and AFP reported a Kalal house being hit by nine rounds.

81/82 mm mortar, 81/82 mm crew-served medium mortar, Artillery

Artillery81/82 mm mortar81/82 mm crew-served medium mortarThe 81/82 mm mortar family covers the standard crew-served, muzzle-loaded, high-angle indirect-fire class used by infantry and light artillery units worldwide. In the Kurdish-Turkish Conflict, a 2018 analysis of PKK tactics describes Russian-made 82 mm mortars used against Turkish security facilities in mountainous areas and later PKK use of 81 mm mortar tools as well, without identifying one specific model. In the War in Afghanistan, U.S. budget documents show Afghan Border Police 82 mm mortars sustained for patrol and border checkpoint missions, reflecting continued Afghan government fielding of the system.

Heavy-calibre weapons, Aggregate heavy artillery and mortar category, Artillery

ArtilleryHeavy-calibre weaponsAggregate heavy artillery and mortar categoryHeavy-calibre weapons is a conservative aggregate entry for the mortars and heavy-calibre artillery publicly cited in the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict. Indian Ministry of Defence reporting attributed intensified Pakistani Line of Control shelling to mortars and heavy-calibre artillery, but did not identify the exact Pakistani gun or mortar models, so this record documents the sourced category rather than a specific weapon system.

M933-series mortar projectile, 120mm high-explosive mortar cartridge, Artillery

ArtilleryM933-series mortar projectile120mm high-explosive mortar cartridgeThe 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.

Sources

120mm Mortar SystemPublisher: U.S. Army Capability Program Executive Ammunition & Energetics | Note: Supports 120 mm mortar background, component layout, range, weight, and rate-of-fire specifications using U.S. M120A1 and M121 examples. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 120mm MortarsPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports current manufacturer context and broader 120 mm mortar background, including modern towed and vehicle-adaptable configurations with 7.2-9.5 km range claims. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Niger says army killed 33 Boko Haram fighters in Lake Chad regionPublisher: The Defense Post / AFP | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency direct conflict use: a 120-mm mortar was fielded by Boko Haram fighters and seized by Nigerien forces in the Lake Chad region in March 2019. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 120-millimetre calibre mortar 001.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing page for the 120 mm mortar launcher primary image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Soldiers firing a M120 120mm mortar (Iraq).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain U.S. government licensing page for a 120 mm M120 mortar firing image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Romanian 120mm mortar.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA licensing page for Romanian soldiers firing a 120 mm mortar. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Mortar 120mm F1.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA licensing page for a MO-120 RT 120 mm mortar image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21