Ukraine's stealth force: The M120 Rak mortar eludes Russian eyes

The M120 Rak, operational since 2016, emerges from the Huta Stalowa Wola facilities, showcasing it as the pinnacle of modern weaponry in its category. Its design innovatively incorporates the wheeled chassis from the highly esteemed KTO Rosomak armoured personnel carrier.

The core component of the M120 Rak is its 120 mm calibre mortar with a barrel length of 25 calibres. This feature enables it to hit targets around 12 kilometres away, delivering 6-8 rounds per minute. As a result, its onboard arsenal of 46 shells can be swiftly deployed against adversaries. Recent social media footage reveals the M120 Rak's interior and a Ukrainian soldier operating the system, marking the first such glimpse from Ukraine. The M120 Rak's presence on the battlefield is relatively rare, with publicly available insights indicating that Kyiv has acquired three company modules. According to Norbert Garbarek, a journalist with Virtual Poland, drawing parallels with the Polish military reveals that each module comprises eight mortars, three ammunition vehicles, two reconnaissance vehicles, four command vehicles, and an armament repair vehicle.

It is reported that 24 M120 Rak mortars have been deployed on the front lines, eluding Russian forces' detection. Only one of these Polish mortars has been captured by the opposition following a strike by an artillery shell or a kamikaze drone. The impact triggered the explosion of the onboard ammunition, causing substantial damage.

The nearly 8-meter-long vehicle is driven by a Scania D1 12 56A03PE engine with a 490 HP output. This allows the crew to accelerate the M120 Rak to speeds exceeding 80 km/h.