Marine Corps News, news from Iraq - Marine Corps Times

New mortar system eyed for use in Afghanistan

QUANTICO, Va. — A new fire support system featuring a 120mm mortar pulled on a trailer by a lightweight vehicle could play a vital role in providing isolated Marine platoons in Afghanistan the firepower they need against the Taliban, a top Marine official said.

The Expeditionary Fire Support System, a part of the Internally Transportable Vehicle program, would help grunts in units such as 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, which has platoons that are sometimes a 2½-hour drive from their battalion commander, said Brig. Gen. Ron Johnson, director of combat operations at Marine headquarters.

“We have one platoon with 64 guys that was attacked by over 150 Taliban,” Johnson said. “The fighting got so intense that a [rocket-propelled grenade] actually came through the platoon [command operations center] and took out the platoon sergeant and radio chief. … The only access they had to outside fire support was the aircraft above them.”

Johnson’s comments came Thursday during a briefing to about 200 defense contractors at the Modern Day Marine Military Exposition. He said he hopes to see Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 10th Marines begin training with the EFSS as soon as possible in anticipation of the Corps’ expanding presence in Afghanistan.

Johnson said after his speech that he was unsure when the EFSS would become available, but a Marine Corps Systems Command official said it could be as soon as late February or March.

The EFSS is expected to provide all-weather, ground-based indirect fire support, and was designed for use by a Marine Air-Ground Task Force, according to Marine briefing slides. It and the yet-to-be-fielded Light Strike Vehicle were developed together as part of the ITV program, and they are the only military vehicles certified to fly on the MV-22 Osprey.

Johnson said the Corps is trying to accelerate Marine training on the EFSS so that when the vehicles are ready, they can immediately join the fight.

“We need the additional capabilities with the 120,” he said of the system’s mortar.

Johnson’s appearance at the Modern Day Marine expo was part of a briefing to the defense industry on the future needs of the Corps. He and two other Marine officials outlined needs for Afghanistan, saying smaller mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles are among the things needed there.

Brig Gen. Jon Davis, deputy assistant commandant for aviation, said the Corps is also preparing to use its next generation of aircraft in Afghanistan — including the soon-to-deploy UH-1Y helicopter — and is planning to expand use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

“The Marine Corps has gone from, ‘Hey we think we kind of like this UAV thing,’ to being in it with both feet,” Davis said. “This is only going to grow in the future.”