ATP 3-21.90 — Tactical Employment Of Mortars
ATP 3-21.90 governs the tactical employment of mortars, including organization, fire support operations, and mortar operations across diverse environments.
- Publication number: ATP 3-21.90
- Title: TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT OF MORTARS
- Date: 10/09/2019
- Proponent: T2COM
- Status: ACTIVE
View ATP 3-21.90 on armypubs.army.mil
ATP 3-21.90 covers mortar capabilities, weapon and fire direction systems, fire support planning, and mortar employment in offensive, defensive, stability, airborne, mountain, urban, and jungle operations. It also addresses mortar positions, displacement, movement, survivability, sustainment, medical care, and combat performance.
Topics covered
- Mortar weapon systems
- Fire support planning
- Mortar positions
- Mortar unit firing formations
- Mountain operations
- Urban operations
- Counterfire protection
- Sustainment planning
Questions and answers
What should mortar element leaders do when personnel or equipment are unavailable?
Mortar element leaders must be prepared to operate without the full complement of personnel and equipment. (paragraph 4-23)
When can mortar systems or their configuration be reduced?
Mission accomplishment determines whether leaders, with their commander's concurrence, reduce the number of mortar systems or the configuration carried. (paragraph 4-24)
What does mortar reconnaissance identify?
Mortar units conduct reconnaissance to identify suitable primary and alternate mortar unit firing positions and routes. (paragraph 4-27)
What must mortar leaders consider when ammunition is difficult to resupply in the mountains?
Because ammunition is limited and usually difficult to resupply in the mountains, mortar element leaders have to be especially vigilant about expenditures. (paragraph 4-143)
Does defilade provide absolute protection from enemy indirect fire?
Defilade provides excellent protection from enemy indirect fire. However, a mortar leader must not think that it provides absolute protection because the enemy has their own methods to seek and destroy friendly fire assets, even when they are in good defilade positions. (paragraph 5-11)