The Polish self-propelled mortar Rak may have a very specific type of mine added to its inventory, which will have a maximum firing range of up to 250 meters. This is 48 times less than its standard firing range of a full-sized mine at 12 km.
This development was carried out by the Military Technical Institute of Armaments (Wojskowego Instytutu Technicznego Uzbrojenia - WITU). It concerns a special mine designed for training exercises.
The development was presented at an international artillery conference held in Toruń at the beginning of December, as reported by Defense24. It is noted that the mine is a complete analogue in terms of weight and dimensions to the combat version, utilizing the same type of explosive charge, among other features.
This signifies not only the appropriate level of crew training but also ensures the proper functioning of all artillery systems of the Rak mortar.
From the perspective of Defense Express, it should be noted that this mine aims to address a significant issue familiar to most European armies – the lack of sufficient artillery ranges due to population density. This often leads to unexpected bottlenecks in military training.
The availability of a training mine, which will not travel further than 250 meters even with a maximum charge, but allows for comprehensive training, is indeed a rather elegant solution. The publication also mentions that the use of such special mines should help resolve the issue of ammunition shortages.
Let us remind you that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been successfully using Polish 120-mm self-propelled mortars Rak on the battlefield for quite some time, which have received quite favorable reviews from Ukrainian military personnel.