Artillery

Mortar launcher, 60mm

Also known as
  • 60 mm mortar launcher
  • 60mm mortar launcher
  • 60 mm mortar tube
  • 60mm mortar tube
  • 60 mm light mortar
  • 60 mm commando mortar

A 60 mm mortar launcher is a light infantry indirect-fire system built around a smoothbore, muzzle-loaded tube that can be used in conventional bipod-and-baseplate form or, on some modern systems, in reduced handheld or commando configurations. In the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, Nigerian reporting has documented 60 mm mortar tubes recovered from ISWAP fighters around Marte, Gajiram, Mandara Mountain, and the Timbuktu Triangle, while Conflict Armament Research has separately documented mortar materiel and captured 60 mm rounds among JAS/Boko Haram and ISWAP-linked seizures around Lake Chad. The recovered launcher models are not publicly identified, so this entry treats the item as a caliber-class system rather than a specific national model.

Mortar launcher, 60mm, 60 mm light mortar launcher, Artillery
Image source: M224 60mm Mortar.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Multiple countries; conflict-use sources do not identify the recovered tube models
Type
60 mm light mortar launcher
Service note
Modern infantry support weapon documented in Boko Haram/ISWAP recoveries since 2016
Designer
Not identified in conflict-use sources
Designed
Varies by model
Unit cost
Varies by model and fire-control package
Produced
Varies by model and manufacturer
Number built
Not applicable to a caliber-class entry

Specifications

Caliber
60 mm
Operating principle
Smoothbore, muzzle-loaded, high-angle mortar; reference systems may be gravity-fired in conventional mode or trigger-fired in handheld mode
Firing configurations
Conventional bipod/baseplate mode; selected modern systems also support handheld, commando, or small-baseplate modes
Range class
Modern reference systems cluster around the 3.5 km class; the U.S. M224A1 lists 70-3,490 m and Ukrainian MP-60 literature states up to 3.5 km
Weight class
Light infantry mortar class; the U.S. M224A1 reference system lists 37.9 lb in conventional firing position and 19.6 lb in handheld mode
Ammunition
60 mm mortar bombs or rounds, including high-explosive, smoke, illumination, infrared illumination, practice, and training types depending on system and supply
Fire-control and sights
Legacy optical sights remain common, while newer manufacturer packages advertise electronic sights, fire-control computers, or range-table aids
60 mm Configuration Split

Modern 60 mm mortars are best treated as a configuration family rather than a single launcher pattern. Reference systems range from conventional bipod-and-baseplate mortars for stable indirect fire to lighter handheld or commando arrangements intended for rapid response and dismounted movement.

Conventional mode

A bipod, sight, and larger baseplate give the gunner stable elevation and traverse control for the longest-range firing setup.

Handheld mode

Some systems remove the bipod and use a small baseplate or trigger-fired arrangement for lighter carriage and shorter-notice missions.

Modern sighting

Manufacturer packages increasingly pair 60 mm launchers with electronic sights, fire-control computers, or range-table aids.

Variants

For this caliber-class entry, variants describe common 60 mm launcher configurations rather than imply that the recovered Boko Haram/ISWAP tubes were a specific national model.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Conventional 60 mm mortarBipod and larger baseplate configuration

A conventional 60 mm mortar uses a tube, bipod, sight, and baseplate for stable high-angle fire; the U.S. M224A1 reference system lists a 37.9 lb conventional firing-position weight.

Sources: 60mm M224A1

Handheld or commando 60 mm mortarSmall-baseplate or no-bipod configuration

Some modern 60 mm systems support a lighter handheld or small-baseplate mode; the U.S. M224A1 lists a handheld mode and the Ukrainian MP-60 literature describes firing with a small baseplate without a bipod.

Sources: 60mm M224A1, 60MM Mortar Launcher MP-60

Digital-sighted 60 mm mortar systemModern sight and fire-control configuration

Elbit and Hirtenberger describe 60 mm mortar packages with sighting or fire-control aids intended to simplify range setting, aiming, and fire planning.

Sources: 60mm Mortars, 60mm System

Ammunition Fired

Official U.S. mortar ammunition listings identify 60 mm high-explosive, illumination, smoke, and training cartridges in the M224/M224A1 ammunition family; those records are reference-system context and do not identify the Boko Haram/ISWAP recovered tubes.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
M720A1 60 mm high explosive cartridge, 60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridge, MunitionsM720A1 60 mm high explosive cartridge60 mm high-explosive cartridge

The Army mortar ammunition listing places M720A1 under 60 mm high-explosive mortar ammunition.

Sources: Mortar Ammunition - Army.mil

M768 60 mm high-explosive cartridge, 60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridge, MunitionsM768 60 mm high-explosive cartridge60 mm high-explosive cartridge

The Army mortar ammunition listing places M768 under 60 mm high-explosive mortar ammunition.

Sources: Mortar Ammunition - Army.mil

M722A1 60 mm white phosphorous smoke cartridge, 60 mm white phosphorous smoke mortar cartridge, MunitionsM722A1 60 mm white phosphorous smoke cartridge60 mm smoke cartridge

The Army mortar ammunition listing identifies M722A1 as a 60 mm white-phosphorus smoke cartridge.

Sources: Mortar Ammunition - Army.mil

M769 60 mm full range practice cartridge, 60 mm full range practice cartridge, MunitionsM769 60 mm full range practice cartridge60 mm practice cartridge

The Army mortar ammunition listing identifies M769 as a 60 mm training cartridge.

Sources: Mortar Ammunition - Army.mil

Timeline

Mortar launcher, 60mm Key Events

  1. U.S. M224A1 fielding highlights weight reduction

    U.S. Army reporting said the first M224A1 60 mm Lightweight Company Mortar Systems had been fielded to 1st Special Forces Group and kept legacy range and rate-of-fire capability while reducing carried weight.

    Sources: Soldiers Benefit from Lighter, Easier to Maintain Mortar Systems

  2. Marte-area ISWAP clearance recovers 60 mm tubes

    HumAngle reported a Nigerian Army statement that troops recovered two 60 mm mortar tubes during clearance operations against ISWAP around Marte, Borno State.

    Sources: Nigerian Troops Kill 25 ISWAP Insurgents In The Northeast

  3. Gajiram attack leaves one 60 mm tube recovered

    ICIR reported that Nigerian troops recovered one 60 mm mortar tube after an ISWAP attack on the Forward Operating Base at Gajiram in Nganzai, Borno State.

    Sources: Two soldiers killed in gun battle with ISWAP terrorists in Borno

  4. Mandara Mountain and Timbuktu Triangle recovery

    Channels Television reported a Nigerian Defence Headquarters briefing that troops recovered one 60 mm mortar tube with five bombs after engagements with ISWAP in Borno State.

    Sources: Troops Neutralize 18 Terrorists, 115 Bandits In Two Weeks

Media

Mortar launcher, 60mm Images

Mortar launcher, 60mm, 60 mm light mortar launcher, Artillery - view 1
Source: M224 60mm Mortar.jpg
Mortar launcher, 60mm, 60 mm light mortar launcher, Artillery - view 2
Source: 60mm mortar round being launch.JPG
Related Weapon Systems
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120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, ArtilleryArtillery120 mm mortar launcherHeavy mortar launcherA 120 mm mortar launcher is a heavy indirect-fire weapon class used to fire high-angle mortar bombs from a tube, baseplate, and bipod, a towed mount, or a vehicle system. This generic entry is for source-backed cases where public evidence identifies the caliber and mortar role but not a precise national model, including Ukrainian 120-mm mortar fire near Chasiv Yar, probable 120 mm mortar shelling in Yemen, Gaddafi-era use around Misratah, and a Nigerien seizure from Boko Haram fighters.
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Sources

Nigerian Troops Kill 25 ISWAP Insurgents In The NortheastPublisher: HumAngle | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: 60 mm mortar tubes fielded by ISWAP were recovered by Nigerian troops around Marte, Borno State. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Two soldiers killed in gun battle with ISWAP terrorists in BornoPublisher: International Centre for Investigative Reporting | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: a 60 mm mortar tube fielded by ISWAP attackers was recovered by Nigerian troops at Gajiram. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Troops Neutralize 18 Terrorists, 115 Bandits In Two WeeksPublisher: Channels Television | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: Nigerian military reporting said troops recovered one 60 mm mortar tube with five bombs after engagements with ISWAP in Borno State. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Weapon Supplies Fuelling Terrorism in the Lake Chad CrisisPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports background on mortar materiel and captured 60 mm mortar rounds documented among JAS/Boko Haram and ISWAP-linked seizures around Lake Chad. | Accessed: 2026-07-0260mm M224A1Publisher: U.S. Army Capability Program Executive Office Ammunition and Energetics | Note: Supports specifications for a reference 60 mm lightweight mortar system; the conflict-use sources do not identify the recovered Boko Haram/ISWAP tubes as M224A1. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Soldiers Benefit from Lighter, Easier to Maintain Mortar SystemsPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports background on M224A1 fielding, 60 mm mortar crew burden, system components, ammunition family, and weight-reduction context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Mortar Ammunition - Army.milPublisher: U.S. Army Capability Program Executive Ammunition and Energetics | Note: Supports reference ammunition-family context for 60 mm high-explosive, illumination, smoke, and training mortar ammunition. | Accessed: 2026-07-0260mm MortarsPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports current manufacturer/product background for 60 mm mortars, including lightweight infantry use, dismounted and vehicle-mounted configurations, and qualified 60 mm ammunition. | Accessed: 2026-07-0260mm SystemPublisher: Hirtenberger Defence Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer/product background for 60 mm mortar barrels, baseplates, sights, ammunition families, and handheld fire-control computer context. | Accessed: 2026-07-0260MM Mortar Launcher MP-60Publisher: National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries | Note: Supports manufacturer/product background for a modern 60 mm mortar launcher class and the approximately 3.5 km range class. | Accessed: 2026-07-02M224 60mm Mortar.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing page for the primary representative 60 mm mortar image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Soldier firing M224 60mm mortar.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing page for a representative 60 mm mortar firing image. | Accessed: 2026-07-0260mm mortar round being launch.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing page for a representative 60 mm mortar launch image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02