US Army awards $12.9 million contract for Scorpion Light 81mm mobile mortars on ISV vehicles.

On September 3, 2026, the U.S. Army awarded Global Military Products a $12.9 million contract to integrate the Scorpion Light 81mm mobile mortar system onto Infantry Squad Vehicle-Utility (ISV-U) platforms under a Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement. The procurement addresses critical light infantry fire-support survivability by integrating an automated, fast-deploying mortar mount with government-furnished M253 81mm barrels, digital fire control, and Nett Warrior networking. This integration allows infantry formations to execute rapid shoot-and-scoot engagements within a sub-two-minute exposure window to avoid counter-battery targeting.

The $12.9 million award integrates the automated Scorpion Light 81mm mount, digital fire control, and Nett Warrior onto five-seat ISV-U vehicles capable of internal CH-47 transport. Featuring a ground-contacting baseplate, the system deploys and fires in under 30 seconds, carries 72 rounds onboard, and was validated during Exercise Balikatan 2026 by firing 20 rounds in under two minutes.

Related topic: US Marines evaluate Scorpion Light mortar on MRZR Alpha 6x6 to strike and escape within minutes

The Scorpion Light is an automated, ultra-rapid mobile 81mm mortar system designed for light vehicles, enabling infantry forces to acquire targets digitally, execute rapid-fire missions, and displace in under two minutes to evade counter-battery fire. (Picture source: US Army)

As reported by Inside Defense, on September 3, 2026, the U.S. Army awarded Global Military Products a $12.9 million contract to procure and integrate Scorpion Light 81mm mobile mortars on Infantry Squad Vehicle-Utility (ISV-U) vehicles under a Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement. This new U.S. self-propelled mortar will combine the Scorpion automated mount, the Army-furnished M253 81mm mortar barrel, a digital fire control, a Nett Warrior, and a five-seat ISV-U. The award follows two years of Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) and CRADA work, including Transformation in Contact (TiC) 2.0 in Hawaii in October 2025 and Balikatan 2026, where two systems fired 20 rounds in less than 120 seconds. The U.S. Army has not specified the contracted quantity, unit cost, delivery schedule, first receiving unit or total Scorpion procurement objective.

The Scorpion, also known as the Alakran, primarily reduces the time between vehicle movement, mortar firing, and displacement rather than changing the M253's ballistic performance. Depending on configuration, the mortar package weighs 900 to 940 lb (408 to 426 kg), can transition from halt to firing readiness in less than 30 seconds and has demonstrated a complete stop-deploy-fire-eight-rounds-recover-move cycle in less than two minutes. Automatic re-aiming requires 3 to 5 seconds, while Alakran testing places the re-aiming after a shot below six seconds and the transition to another target at 8 to 10 seconds. Disengagement has been demonstrated in less than 20 seconds on some Alakran configurations and within 30 seconds of the final shot on the Scorpion Light, limiting the period during which the vehicle remains stationary after firing.

The Scorpion mortar automates navigation, ballistic computation and mortar laying but retains manual ammunition handling. Two GPS receivers, an inertial navigation system and an inclinometer establish position, azimuth and elevation; the fire control computer calculates the solution and electromechanical actuators lay the tube. Up to 1,000 target positions can be stored, supporting preplanned targets, zonal fires, multiple-round missions and MRSI-type sequences, while Nett Warrior transfers digital target and mission data. The crew still selects each 81mm mortar round, configures its propellant charge, and manually drops it into the M253 barrel, while a manual backup mode remains available, allowing the weapon to be automatically laid and digitally controlled rather than mechanically autoloaded like some self-propelled howitzers.

The ISV-U integration also addresses the ammunition burden of an 81mm section. The mortar itself weighs 76 lb (36 kg), while a typical 81mm round weighs 10 lb (4.5 kg); consequently, 48 rounds add 480 lb (218 kg) and the Army's tested 72-round load adds 720 lb (327 kg), more than nine times the mass of the mortar alone. During trials, the ISV-U carried a Scorpion, its crew, and 72 rounds together instead of distributing them among soldiers or additional vehicles. The integrated ISV-U/Scorpion configuration is also internally transportable by CH-47 Chinook, allowing a helicopter-inserted infantry element to arrive with its mortar, ammunition, and carrier instead of landing with a dismounted mortar that must subsequently be carried or moved by another vehicle.

During Transformation in Contact 2.0 at Schofield Barracks from October 20-25, 2025, the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment tested Scorpion-equipped ISVs with 72 rounds while retaining its existing organization and concept of operations; two systems subsequently remained in Hawaii for further JPMRC activity. During Balikatan 2026, two Scorpion Autonomous Engagement Systems fired 20 rounds in less than two minutes. Even using the full 120 seconds, that represents more than 10 rounds per minute across the pair, or more than five per mortar per minute if the ammunition expenditure were evenly divided. It nevertheless demonstrated that two light vehicle-mounted 81mm mortars could complete a mission and remain within the U.S. Army's sub-two-minute exposure window.

The Marine Corps is also pursuing a lighter Scorpion configuration under a February 24, 2026 contract with a $4.9 million ceiling. Its two-seat Polaris MRZR Alpha 6×6 has a 3,600-lb (1,633-kg) payload, a 3,000-lb (1,361-kg) rear cargo capacity, a cargo area 65% larger than the four-wheel MRZR Alpha and more than 90% parts commonality with the existing vehicle. The Scorpion configuration carries 48 81mm rounds, versus 72 on the U.S. Army variant, giving the Army 50% greater onboard ammunition capacity. The MRZR trades those 24 rounds for a smaller transport footprint that permits internal carriage by V-22, whereas the ISV-U configuration is sized for CH-47 transport.

The Scorpion derives from the broader Alakran architecture, whose ground-contacting baseplate transfers firing loads directly into the ground rather than through the vehicle chassis, reducing the requirement for reinforced suspension or a heavy recoil system. The Alakran supports both 81mm and 120mm smoothbore mortar barrels and has been integrated on Land Cruiser, VAMTAC, BARS, MRZR, Humvee, and ISV vehicles. The Alakran family includes a maximum range of roughly 6.5 km for an 81mm configuration and 8.2 km for a 120mm configuration, with a rate of up to 12 rounds in the first minute and four rounds per minute sustained. A water-mist barrel-cooling system dissipating up to 1,000 kilocalories per minute has also enabled 50 rounds to be fired at 10 rounds per minute while keeping barrel temperature below 180°C; however, these figures should not be treated as specifically centered on the M253 81mm barrel and U.S. digital fire control configuration.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.