AMOS
Encyclopedia
- For other uses, see AmosAmos-First name:* Amos , one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible**Book of Amos, his writings* Amos, son of Nephi and his son Amos, two minor figures in the Book of Mormon...
; for the programming language, see AMOS (programming language); for MRO software, see AMOS (software)AMOS (software)AMOS is a fully integrated software package used in the context of aviation maintenance, repair, and operations . AMOS helps airlines to manage the maintenance, engineering, and logistics requirements of modern aircraft fleets...
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AMOS or Advanced Mortar System is a 120 mm automatic twin barrelled, breech loaded
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
. AMOS has been fitted to a wide range of armoured vehicles such as the Sisu Pasi, Patria AMV, Combat Vehicle 90
Combat Vehicle 90
The Combat Vehicle 90 or Stridsfordon 90 is a Swedish infantry fighting vehicle designed by Hägglunds where the first generation was fitted with a Bofors turret. It is currently produced by BAE Systems Hägglunds.-Background:...
or Combat Boat 90
Combat Boat 90
Combat Boat 90 is a class of fast military assault craft originally developed for the Swedish Navy by Dockstavarvet. In addition to the many variants in service with the Swedish Navy under the Strb 90 H designation, the CB 90 has been adopted by the navies of several countries, including Norway ,...
.
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
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
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
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
. The strike of one AMOS unit roughly equals one strike of an artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
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An AMOS turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
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
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
/Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Patria Hägglunds, a joint venture between Finnish Patria
Patria (company)
Patria is a Finnish company which produces a wide range of defence, aviation and aerospace technology. It carries on the firearms tradition of Valtion Kivääritehdas and the aerospace tradition of Valtion lentokonetehdas.-Patria Aviation:* NH90* Mini-UAVs...
and Swedish BAE Systems Hägglunds. The system is known as the SSG120 in Swedish service.
Ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
for AMOS includes the Strix
Strix mortar round
The Saab Bofors Dynamics STRIX is a Swedish guided projectile fired from a 120 mm mortar.STRIX is fired like a conventional mortar round. The round contains an infrared sensor that it uses to guide itself onto any tank or armoured fighting vehicle in the vicinity where it lands.STRIX has been in...
guided round and a modification of the Spanish Instalaza
Instalaza
Instalaza SA is a Spanish firm that designs, develops and manufactures equipment and other military material for infantry. The company, founded in 1943, is headquartered in Madrid and its production plant is in Zaragoza, Aragon...
120 mm Mortar Cargo Round "MAT-120
MAT-120
The MAT-120 cargo bomb is a Spanish produced cluster munition, fired from a 120mm calibre mortar produced by Instalaza SA. The main body of the round holds dual-purpose anti-tank/anti-personnel submunitions...
" (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.