The Nordic countries have cooperated to produce a significant development in close support mortars. AMOS, a turreted twin barrel, smooth-bore 120 mm mortar system, has been jointly developed by Hagglunds Vehicle AB, the Swedish company, now a subsidiary of Alvis, and the Finnish company Patria Vammas Qy, for installation on a wide range of light armoured vehicles and combat boats. It has been developed to replace traditional ground-based mortars as battalion artillery.

The AMOS turret system features:


1) High rate of fire because of its twin barrel concept
2) Direct fire capability
3) Rapid deployment due to instrumentation for vehicle location and attitude, well suited for shoot & scoot tactics
4) Ballistic protection against infantry weapons and splinters for crew. Add-on-Armour is available as an option
5) Large on-board ammunition supply
6) Capable of firing all 120 mm smooth-bore Modular system ammunition

Patria Hagglunds Qy, the joint venture company comprising Patria lndustries Oy and Hagglunds Vehicle AB, is demonstrating AMOS at Eurosatory 2000

The company received its first order for AMOS in June 1999, when the initial contract was signed by the Finnish Defence Forces for the self-propelled to be delivered in autumn 2000 and tested during the winter. The Finnish Defence Forces intend to take AMOS into service with the Regines Brigades for a tactical test programme that is scheduled to get under way in 2003.

Current procurement plans envisage the Swedish Armed Forces purchasing a new protected mortar system. The programme is planned to be co-ordinated with that from Finland within the Nordic defence co-operation framework.

AAI Corporation Enters Into Technology License for AMOS Mortar System

HUNT VALLEY, MARYLAND, JANARY 29, 2003 - U.S. defense contractor AAI Corporation has entered into an exclusive technology license with the Finnish firm Patria Hägglunds Oy for the engineering and marketing in North America of the highly effective Advanced Mortar System (AMOS)™ now in development for several European militaries.

“This is a major new initiative for AAI Corporation,” stated Fred Strader, AAI Corporation president and chief operating officer. “We are extremely proud to be selected to work with a company the caliber of Patria Hägglunds, its employees, and its associated firms. Current world conditions highlight the need for more capable mortar systems for U.S. forces. AMOS is the best turret mortar system available today.”

“One of the first markets for AMOS and its technologies,” Strader added, “will be the U.S. Army’s Future Combat System (FCS). The AMOS system design is mature and will meet the Army’s aggressive time schedule for FCS. The mortar system is a prominent element in achieving organic fire support in the Objective Force. With AMOS, AAI is positioned well to help the Army meet its new challenges.”

Modular in design, AMOS can be integrated into a range of tracked and wheeled platforms and on combat boats. As the U.S. technology licensee for AMOS, AAI will work with Patria Hägglunds in U.S. and Canadian markets to design, develop, and produce existing and derivative mortar weapon systems.

AMOS represents the latest technology in turret systems. Finnish and Swedish combat forces have contracted to integrate the AMOS system on Patria’s armored wheeled vehicle as well as on the Alvis Hägglunds’ tracked CV90 IFV and on the Combat Boat 90.

Operating with impressive firepower, including direct and indirect fire capability, the AMOS turret is comprised of twin barrel 120 mm mortars with automatic ammunition handling and electronic target engagement/firing systems.

AMOS uses current ammunition in stock and is compatible with future 120-mm mortar ammunition such as the Precision Guided Mortar Munition.

The brigades

The wartime strength of the Finnish Defence Forces is about 490 000 men, the strength of the Army is about 345 000. The finnish army is not organized in divisions, since that is too large formations for operating in the difficult finnish terrain. The brigades are organized in army corpses, which have their own multiple rocket-launcher batteries and heavy artillery battallions supporting the brigades in combat. The brigades are organized and equipped to act independently if necessary. The general forces is supported by company to battalion-sized local defence units. Approximately 50 battallions and 200 other local defence units. These engage in rearguard action and create a depth of defensive preparedness to delay and wear down the enemy. These units is supported by their own mortar and artillery units.

General forces

Infantry Brigades, or jalkaväkiprikaatit in finnish. These brigades are formed mainly with reservists with a strenght of approximately 6600 soldiers in each brigade. The brigades uses numerical designations. The brigades are organized as the jaeagerbrigades but has older equipment and are not motorized to the same extenth. They are thus suitable for defensive operations.

- 17. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 19. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 27. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 29. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 34. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 36. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 39. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 41. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 42. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 43. Jalkaväkiprikaati
- 47. Jalkaväkiprikaati

Jaegerbrigades, or jääkäriprikaatit in finnish, better equipped infantry and higly motorized. Strenght approximately 5300 soldiers. They are thus suitable for offensive operations.

- Hämen Jääkäriprikaati,
- Lapin Jääkäriprikaati
- Pohjan Jääkäriprikaati
- Kymen Jääkäriprikaati
- Savon Jääkäriprikaati
- Pohjois-Karjalan Jääkäriprikaati

Readiness brigades, or valmiusprikaatit in finnish, spearhead units with the most modern equipment available. Strenght approximately 5300 soldiers. Part of Pori Brigade is ear-marked for international missions under the name FRDF (Finnish Rapid Deployment Force). These brigades are lighter and more flexible than jaegerbrigades. The modern equipment however still gives them more fire-power than a jaegerbrigade.

- Kainuun Valmiusprikaati
- Karjalan Valmiusprikaati
- Porin Valmiusprikaati

Armoured brigades, or panssariprikaatit in finnish, with T-72M1 main battle tanks. Strenght approximately 5700 soldiers and 65 main battle tanks in each brigade, hundreds of other armoured vehicles. Both fighting vehicles and transport and engineer vehicles. The Leopard 2A4´s bought from Germany (and one T-72 battallion) will be based at the active Armoured Brigade during peace-time, during war they would be formed to independent tank battallions and support the other brigades in combat, mainly the readiness brigades. The armoured brigades are usefull in the south. Up in the north the armour would be forced to use the roads which would make them vulnerable, as the russians found ut during world war 2.

- 1. Panssariprikaati, active
- 2. Panssariprikaati, reserve

Coastal brigade, swedish-speaking, organized under the Navy.

- Nylands brigad (swedish), Uudenmaan prikaati (finnish).

AMV 8x8 AMOS

AMOS, or advanced mortar system. Mounted on the new Patria AMV 8x8. It will be used in the two southern readiness brigades with 12 vehicles in each. With modern guided anti-tank ammunition such as the swedish STRIX the vehicle is also effective against "hard" targets. The turret has an integrated GPS and Inertia positioning device with a lasersight and rangefinder, which gives the vehicle an accurate direct-fire capability. Under optimal circumstances the vehicle is capable of launching 16 rounds in different trajectories, so that they hit the target at the same time, and when the rounds hit their target the vehicle has already left it´s firing position to avoid counter-battery fire.