Unveiling and Development
ZŤS Špeciál began the development of vehicle in 2021. An initial prototype, named AM120, based on a Tatra 815-7 6×6 chassis with a Puma armoured cabin, was presented in May 2024 at IDEB in Bratislava. The initial prototype that was presented could carry up to 60 rounds.
The next prototype, presented at IDET 2025 in Brno, featured a reworked loading system and could only carry 35 rounds, but this allowed the mortar to be mounted on an even wider variety of platforms including a 4×4 chassis. It was renamed to SAM120 as well.
Design
The mortar can be installed on a wide variety of platforms which is one of the advantages of this vehicle. Immediately after firing, the vehicle can move quickly and avoid return fire thanks to its high top speed of 90 km/h. Another advantage of the mortar is its very high rate of fire of up to 20 rounds per minute.
The mortar's elevation range is from +40° to +80°, with a horizontal traverse of 360° (fully rotatable turret). Its minimum range is 504 meters and the maximum range with standard 120 mm mortar ammunition is 8,200 meters and thanks to a high degree of automation, the crew only consists of two, a driver and a gunner or a commander, though at the request of the customer, the crew can consist of up to four.
The vehicle was designed in such a way that firing is conducted primarily remotely from the armoured cabin, which is separate from the mortar's automated turret. If necessary, firing can also be conducted directly from the turret, which is equipped with a fully-featured manual control system. The Lansys AM120 fire-control system is manufactured by the Slovak company Kerametal.
Slovakia
Azerbaijan