Little wonders are sometimes hidden among large objects. This is the case for GNM-60 mortar, a formidable little hand-held mortar that would perfectly match some commando unit needs.

Delta's GNM-60 60mm mortar, a 'little wonder' for special forces and other units needing to fire and remain unnoticed (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Delta is a Georgian company settled in Tbilisi, specialized in artillery systems. Its GNM-60 is a 60mm caliber mortar stunningly noiseless: when fired, the noise made by the grenade is comparable to a gentle hit from a hand on a metallic object. It means that nobody distant of more than ten meters could spot from where the grenade was fired. Needless to say how far this 2.5kg mortar is appreciated in the Georgian army... and would be by all special forces of the world, to mention only them, in concealed operations. The user could hit its target and yet stay unnoticed. Noiseless function of this mortar is due to a special design of the mortar and its grenades.

In addition to this crucial advantage, ultralight construction makes it very easy to carry on top of another individual weapon. The manufacturer goes even further: the grenade can be loaded with many other things than explosive, turning the mortar into a useful load projector. A ‘classic’ explosive grenade weigh 1.5kg, with an effective casualty radius of 15 meters.

Some relevant technical data: the barrel length is only 395mm; the range of fire spans from around 50 to 400 meters; the rate of fire is around 20 grenades per minute; the barrel life expectancy is 15,000 shots.

For those who like history, the Japanese army used a small mortar of about the same size during World War 2, and US marines having captured some of them believed the inverted curve of the mortar base indicated it had to be placed on a leg for firing. They suffered heavy injuries because of this terribly wrong interpretation of the shape. Delta's GNM-60 is also foreseen to be used by firmly putting it on the ground, in no way by being held in hand.