History
The M252 is an adaptation of the British 81mm L16A2 mortar developed in the 1950s. It entered service with the U.S. Army and replaced the previous 81 mm M29 mortar in 1986. It was adopted due to the extended range (from 4,500 meters to 5,650 meters) and enhanced lethality. In the U.S. it is produced by Watervliet Arsenal.
A much lighter version, the M252A1, was fielded for the first time in 2011. By reducing the number of parts and using lightweight materials, the total weight was reduced by 20.8 pounds. In the next several years, all U.S. Army M252s will be replaced by the M252A1. As part of the same program, a lightweight version of the M224 mortar was developed.
Read more about this topic: M252 Mortar
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