| Patria AMOS | |
|---|---|
| Type | Self-propelled mortar |
| Place of origin | Finland Sweden |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2007 |
| Used by | Finnish Army , Swedish Army |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4,445 kg (turret only) |
| Crew | 1+3 |
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| Caliber | 2 × 120 mm |
| Elevation | -3° to +85° |
| Traverse | ± 360° |
| Rate of fire | 26 rounds/min |
| Maximum range | 10 km (indirect fire) 150–1,550 m (direct fire) |
AMOS or Advanced Mortar System is a 120 mm automatic twin barrelled, breech loaded mortar turret. AMOS has been fitted to a wide range of armoured vehicles such as the Sisu Pasi, Patria AMV, Combat Vehicle 90 or Combat Boat 90.
The AMOS fires GPS-guided rounds at a maximum rate of fire of 26 rounds per minute. It can fire 14 rounds using multiple rounds simultaneous impact, where all rounds impact the target at the same time. The first rounds are fired at higher angles with more propellant so that the rounds fly in a high arc. The next rounds are shot later with a slightly smaller angle and less propellant so that they fly a lower arc to the same target. This can be done seven times in a row, always adjusting the angle and power, so that all 14 rounds hit the target simultaneously. The adjustment between shots is done by a computer. The strike of one AMOS unit roughly equals one strike of an artillery battery.
An AMOS turret has a full 360-degree field of fire at elevations between -3 to +85 degrees. AMOS is capable of both conventional indirect fire and direct fire for self-protection. In a typical installation -- mounted on a Patria AMV or a similar vehicle, the vehicle can dash to the next position roughly 30 seconds after initiating the 14-round salvo, leaving minimal time for detection and counter-attack by enemy; evasion is the primary means of self-protection.
AMOS is manufactured and marketed by Finnish/Swedish Patria Hägglunds, a joint venture between Finnish Patria and Swedish BAE Systems Hägglunds. The system is known as the SSG120 in Swedish service. Ammunition for AMOS includes the Strix guided round and a modification of the Spanish Instalaza 120 mm Mortar Cargo Round "MAT-120" (although the latter are restricted to Finnish inventory and are slated for decommissioning due to their contravention of international treaty). Because AMOS is breech-loading, it cannot fire standard muzzle-loaded mortar rounds. AMOS rounds feature a 'short stub case' at the base of the fins, similar to a sabot. In this way, expended rounds fired by AMOS an be easily differentiated from traditional mortar systems.