Patria to supply NEMO for Hungary’s mortar programme

Patria will supply its NEMO turreted mortar system to Rheinmetall’s subsidiaries – Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and Rheinmetall Hungary – to equip Hungary’s Lynx KF41 armoured fighting vehicles under the ZRINYI programme, according to a 9th April Patria press release.

Patria will supply 24 of its NEMO systems which will be integrated onto a specialised variant of Hungary’s Lynx vehicles. The announcement follows a trial integration of the turret onto the Lynx hull in 2024, evaluating its compatibility and validating the integration, the press release states. 

The Lynx fleet is entering service with Hungary’s 30th Mechanised Infantry Brigade, which is having to relearn the art of conventional combined arms warfare as it moves away from the light infantry and counter-insurgency training that has dominated for the past three decades. 

This has come with several challenges, a representative of the Hungarian armed forces said in January, but emphasised that the country is working closely with Rheinmetall to integrate the vehicles and ensure that they are meeting the country’s needs. A total of 172 KF41 Lynx vehicles will be procured, mostly as IFVs with some configured for command and control, medical evacuation, and reconnaissance platforms. 

Italy has also selected the Lynx, and is expecting to procure around 1,000 of the vehicles including a turreted mortar variant. Graphics released describing the programme appear to show a vehicle carrying the NEMO turret. This indicates that successful integration in the Hungarian programme may lead to a follow-on contract in Italy. 

User profile: NEMO

NEMO is gaining greater traction as many western forces look to re-arm and re-equip their manoeuvre formations with a renewed emphasis on indirect fire. The system was selected by Saudi Arabia’s National Guard in 2010 and has been fitted to fast patrol boats in service with the UAE. In 2024 a British Boxer was shown fitted with the turret, a Patria representative indicated that it had already been selected by the UK at that time. Germany has submitted a proposal to procure at least 40 of the CAVS armed with the NEMO mortar, and of course there is the potential for an Italian order in the near future. The US Army has conducted several trials of NEMO and received an Armoured Multi-Purpose vehicle from BAE Systems fitted with one in 2024. There are many other mortar requirements throughout Europe indicating a period of growth for turreted mortars

Calibre comment

Mortars are an important element of fire support that is sometimes forgotten as the focus on large calibre artillery has dominated discussions for the last three years. A mortar bomb is typically built with lower tolerances than a 155 mm shell because it does not have to withstand the same pressures during firing. This means that a mortar bomb can carry a higher percentage of its weight as explosives. Combined with the thinner walls of the bomb, this means a 120 mm mortar bomb can be as lethal as a 105 mm artillery shell when the radius of its fragmentation is considered. This is what makes it a capable and important weapon for armoured battlegroups, it can respond immediately to calls for fire and represents a relatively low logistics burden at the same time.