U.S. Marines with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force–Crisis Response–Central Command took their new M252A2 Lightweight 81 mm mortar system to the range at Al Asad air base, Iraq on Oct. 25 for some testing.
Photo By: Sgt. Owen Kimbrel
“We were just issued the new M252A2 Lightweight 81 mm mortar system and before we employed it in combat, we decided to get the Marines out here [Al Asad range] and get some live fires training with the system,” said U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Alex Sherrod, the executive officer with Weapons Company.
A total of 87 rounds were fired from the new mortar which is 10 pounds lighter than the previous mortar system and has heat reducing technology to keep the weapons system cooler than its predecessor.