At the 2025 Changchun Air Show, a lightweight mortar with a lean shape attracted a lot of attention, affectionately known as the "titanium alloy small steel cannon" by netizens, which is a new generation of ultralight mortar of the People's Liberation Army - PBP201 60mm mortar. This mortar is not only lightweight, but also has strong firepower, and the application of advanced materials such as titanium alloy behind it is indispensable, bringing a new fire support mode to infantry operations.
1. Titanium alloy helps to achieve a breakthrough in mortar lightweight
The 60mm mortar is a traditional weapon of our army and has played an important role in many battles such as the War of Liberation, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam. However, in the 70s of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, it faced two withdrawal crises due to backward technology and difficulty in adapting to the needs of the modern battlefield. Today, the appearance of the PBP201 mortar has brought this "old comrade-in-arms" back to life, and the lightweight design is one of its notable highlights.
The PBP201 mortar uses a titanium alloy barrel, gun mount and composite handle. Titanium alloy has excellent properties such as low density, high strength, and corrosion resistance, and is used to manufacture gun barrels and gun mounts, which greatly reduces the weight of weapons while ensuring structural strength. The weight of the whole gun is only 8.5 kg, which is half lighter than the PP93 mortar (22 kg) used by the airborne troops and much lighter than the latest M224A1 light mortar (16 kg) of the US military.
This lightweight design brings many advantages. On the battlefield, soldiers can easily carry it over mountains and mountains, which greatly improves battlefield mobility. In the past, heavy mortars limited the range and speed of soldiers, but PBP201 mortars allow soldiers to travel more flexibly through various terrains and quickly reach combat positions. At the same time, it takes up almost no space on helicopters, armored vehicles and other means of transport, which is convenient for rapid deployment and transportation, allowing weapons to more closely accompany infantry movements and provide timely fire support for infantry.
2. Titanium alloy and informatization are integrated to improve shooting accuracy
In addition to being lightweight, the information configuration of the PBP201 mortar is also very advanced. It is equipped with a laser holographic diffraction scope, integrated laser rangefinder, fire control computer and navigation and positioning system, and supports the launch of Beidou satellite-guided artillery shells. Titanium alloy components provide a stable and reliable support structure for these sophisticated information equipment, ensuring the normal operation of equipment in various complex environments.
In actual combat, soldiers can quickly complete ballistic calculations and achieve accurate shooting with the help of these information equipment. Even without a gun mount, soldiers can hold the gun to complete accurate shooting. In contrast, the U.S. M224A1 mortar still uses traditional optical sights, which lags significantly behind in shooting accuracy and ease of operation. The PBP201 mortar upgrades the mortar from the traditional "surface pressing" to "precision strike" through the integration of titanium alloy and information technology.
It is equipped with satellite-guided shells that use Beidou navigation technology, and the circular probability error (CEP) is only 1 - 2 meters, far exceeding the accuracy of traditional mortars. At the same time, it also supports PGK correction fuzes, which can make ordinary shells have precise guidance capabilities through simple installation, with a strike accuracy of CEP5 meters, and are low cost, suitable for large-scale use. This means that on the battlefield, soldiers can hit targets more accurately, reduce ammunition waste, and improve combat efficiency.
3. Flexible ammunition design supported by titanium alloy
The ammunition design of the PBP201 mortar is also very flexible, which is also inseparable from the support of titanium alloys and other materials in the overall design of the weapon. Soldiers can choose between trigger (ground explosion) or air explosion (air detonation) modes depending on the target.
When facing targets hidden behind cover, selecting the airstrike mode allows shells to explode above the target, expanding the killing range; For focused targets or targets that need to be destroyed directly, trigger mode can be more effective. This flexible ammunition design not only improves the efficiency of firepower, but also reduces collateral damage. In scenarios such as peacekeeping missions, precise strikes can avoid damage to innocent people and civilian facilities, reflecting the humanitarian spirit.
4. The tactical value and wide application of titanium alloy small steel cannons
The tactical value of the PBP201 mortar lies in its flexibility and firepower accompanying capabilities. Whether in complex terrain such as mountains, jungles or city streets, it can keep up with infantry movements and provide uninterrupted fire support. For airborne troops who focus on rapid reaction, their lightweight design and rapid-fire capabilities solve the problem of lack of heavy fire support. When confronting enemy snipers, you can easily suppress the enemy's fire positions by firing a few mortar shells directly.
