The new NEMO 120mm mortar mobile container will be introduced to the public for the first time in February 2017. The Nemo Container will be the first container solution to mount a large-calibre weapon. While smaller-calibre, container-mounted weapons have been available, no Nemo-like mortar system, capable of both direct and indirect fire, has been on the market until now.

The development of a new type of weapon system was possible thanks to the deep knowledge and long-term experience of mortar systems at Patria.

“A range of competencies are required in order to develop the knowledge needed for the integration of a heavy 120mm mortar in a container,” says Kari Reunamäki, Vice President of the weapon systems product line at Patria.

“We can use our weapon design expertise to conduct strength and vibration analyses related to the dimensioning of a container, for example. We know what is required for a container to withstand the recoil forces and impulse of the Nemo system. Vehicle or container manufacturers rarely understand the weapon system side of the equation.

Strength calculations and the design of the support frame were particularly complicated by the fact that the container had to include an access hatch, a top hatch and an escape hatch, which weakened its construction.

“The reinforced tubular structure absorbs recoil. There are more longitudinal and transverse beams in the space between the external and internal cladding than in standard containers,” Reunamäki says, describing the construction.

In the firing position, the roof is 600mm lower than that of a normal maritime container. The standard height is achieved when the mortar’s transport cover is added to the top of the container.

“Nemo Container is significantly more cost-effective than mortar systems mounted on a separately purchased vehicle or boat.”

The Nemo Container is delivered with everything that a mortar unit needs: protection for the crew, the weapon and ammunition. The container has its own power unit and air conditioning. In addition to an access hatch, the container has an escape hatch.

The customer can select NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) filtration systems, as well as the desired ballistic protection, made either of steel plates or ceramic armour. High-durability steel plating 8 to 10mm thick adds around three tons to the weight of the container.

The container has space for one hundred mortar bombs – double the number compared to that of the Nemo AMV vehicle version, for example. The container has a crew of three: two loaders and a gunner, who also acts as the commander of the unit.