Marines who operate the Expeditionary Fire Support System will begin testing a new high-tech precision-guided mortar round later this year.
Raytheon Missile Systems will deliver 162 of its new 120mm Precision Extended Range Munition, or PERM, in October, said Joe McPherson, fire support systems product manager for Marine Corps Systems Command.
Marines will test the rounds m for about three months before the service awards its first production buy in January 2017, he said. The service Marine Corps expects to begin fielding the new , precision-guided 120mmmortar round starting in early 2018, officials confirm.
The lightweight round is expected to make the Expeditionary Fire Support System deadlier on the battlefield. Introduced about seven years ago, the system includes two vehicles: one that transports the M327 120mm mortar tube and the other carries ammunition. It can fit inside the belly of an MV-22 Osprey or can be slung with a CH-53E Super Stallion for rapid, vertical insertion onto the battlefield.
PERM improves the accuracy of the fire support system by using preprogrammed GPS coordinates to guide itself within 10 meters of targets up to 10 miles away. That's or twice the distance of current munitions.
"PERM basically adds to its fast, austere and lethal capability," McPherson said. "The focus is to operate in austere environments: rugged or mountainous terrain deep behind lines or in contested locations."
Marines load 120mm high explosive mortar rounds into an Expeditionary Fire Support System during Exercise Rolling Thunder at Fort Bragg, N.C. The Marine Corps will begin testing a lighter 120mm precision-guided mortar round for the system later this year.
Photo Credit: Sgt. James Smith/Marine Corps
The new round is also 250 percent more lethal.
Unlike current munitions, in which whose shallow trajectories spray shrapnel straight up in the air upon impact, the PERM is designed to vertically drop onto targets for maximum effectiveness, McPherson said.
"If you come down at a near-90-degree angle, when it goes off, the fragments coming off that shell basically shoot across the ground in all directions, so you get a much greater lethality," he said.
All of that PERM’s increased range, accuracy and lethality will provide Marines with an exceptional tactical flexibility, McPherson added.
"You're going to be able to get the maximum effectiveness out of each mortar shot you take," he said. "You'll have the ability to fire in some of the more built-up urban areas we're dealing with where you might have a high risk of civilian casualties and collateral damage."
If the testing goes well and Upon receiving the final green light from the Corps next January, Raytheon — Missile Systems - which was awarded the $98 million contract in December — will get gets the green light to proceed with development in January. The it will ramp up its first production batch is expected to include 4,329 rounds, said Joe McPherson said. , fire support systems product manager for Marine Corps Systems Command.
"[Raytheon] will provide 162 rounds in October which we'll test between then and January to basically confirm their production processes are good," he said. "We'll award the first production buy in January [2017] and they'll deliver those rounds in early 2018."
"We'll ... test between then and January to basically confirm their production processes are good," he said.
Called the Precision Extended Range Munition, or PERM, the lightweight round uses GPS tracking to flawlessly guide itself within 10 meters of targets up to 10 miles away, or twice the distance of current munitions.
The PERM was designed to work with the Corps' highly mobile mortar strike platform, the Expeditionary Fire Support System, said McPherson.
The new round is also 250 percent more lethal.
Unlike current munitions, whose shallow trajectories spray shrapnel straight up in the air upon impact, the PERM is designed to vertically drop onto targets for maximum effectiveness, McPherson said.
"If you come down at a near-90-degree angle, when it goes off, the fragments coming off that shell basically shoot across the ground in all directions, so you get a much greater lethality," he said.
PERM's increased range, accuracy and lethality will provide Marines with an exceptional tactical flexibility, McPherson added.
"You're going to be able to get the maximum effectiveness out of each mortar shot you take," he said. "You'll have the ability to fire in some of the more built-up urban areas we're dealing with where you might have a high risk of civilian casualties and collateral damage."
Lightweight rounds for the Expeditionary Fire Support System will go a long way in relieving pressure on Marines as they prepare for crisis response missions that could leave small teams operating independently for weeks without much logistical support. This is critical as the force seeks to return to its expeditionary roots in the post-Afghanistan world.Under the service’s Expeditionary Force 21 concept of operations, pre-positioned Marines are increasingly being trained and tasked to rapidly respond to a range of crises around the globe with the ability to operate independently for weeks at a time.The 35-pound PERM is much lighter than current rounds, and not having to walk in rounds means mortar teams’ loads will go a much longer way.
The EFSS’ two vehicles — one for the M327 mortar and the other for ammo — fit crisply into the belly of an MV-22 Osprey or can be slung with a CH-53E Super Stallion for rapid, vertical insertion onto the battlefield.Once deployed, tThe fire support system EFSS can be ready to fire within minutes once Marines reach their destination. Marines then plug a cable into the round to transfer target coordinates using current GPS coordinates, McPherson said, which can be done in less than 15 seconds.
"It does take a few extra seconds, but the flat target is still to be able to do this in under 15 seconds," he said.
Since the gun crew will not have to adjust the weapon shot to shot, the time it takes to fire a round firing process is dramatically reduced.
"The weapon itself will always be at a 60-degree angle and only nominally has to be pointed toward the target," McPherson said. "The rounds will correct in flight, so it's actually taking a load off the mortar crew and shifting it over to digitally programming the round."
After launch, the round soars up to 10,000 feet while turning on its GPS.
"Then, just like the GPS in your car, it acquires its location from satellites and uses a navigation system to fly to a target point," McPherson said.
Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the correct amount of the contract: $98 million.
Raytheon, which was awarded the contract to produce the PERM in December, will deliver 162 rounds in October to the Marine Corps for rigorous final testing. Beginning in January, the company will begin delivering an initial order of 4,329 rounds.
Matthew L. Schehl covers training and education, recruiting, West Coast Marines, MARSOC, and operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East for Marine Corps Times. He can be reached at mschehl@marinecorpstimes.com.
