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Swiss to field retractable Cobra mortars in 2024

15th March 2022 - 14:13 GMT | by Christopher F Foss in London

RSS

A Piranha IV vehicle operated by the Swiss Army, pictured with the RUAG Cobra 120mm RMS deployed in the firing position with the mortar deployed to the front and roof hatches open. (Photo: GDELS-Mowag)

Swiss Army artillery units will be equipped from 2024 with the latest RUAG Defence 120mm Cobra smoothbore recoiling mortar system on a modified GDELS-Mowag Piranha IV 8x8 APC.

Since its Model 64/91 120mm self-propelled mortars on M113 tracked APCs were phased out of service in 2010, the Swiss Army faced a problem.

With the country’s air force optimised for air defence and incapable of ground attack, the only indirect fire capability for the Swiss Army has come from currently deployed mortars and four battalions of upgraded M109 series 155mm self-propelled howitzers (SPHs).

Beginning in 2024, however, Swiss Army artillery units will be equipped with the latest RUAG Defence Cobra 120mm smoothbore recoiling mortar system (RMS) installed in the modified GDELS-Mowag Piranha IV 8x8 APC.

One battery of six

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