Sakura Machinery “Jade Stinger” 81mm Mortar is an indirect support weapon designed to fire modified mini-missiles. It was first used in YE 46 by the Nepleslian Reds.

After their initial successes in gaining production contracts with the Star Army of Yamatai with the weaponry of the M19 Ryoko Mecha and the Ke-M13-W4272 Heavy Armor Rifle, engineers at Sakura Machinery were interested in branching out into other areas of weaponry that might be of interest to the Star Army Rikugun. Development of the “Jade Stinger” started at the same time Sakura Machinery started development of their own in-house fire arm, the Sakura Machinery “Arisaka” General Purpose Machine Gun. But unlike their mecha weaponry, there was little interest in either of Sakura's projects. The pair were saved with the emergence of the Nepleslian Reds in the form of the Fujiko Development Corporation.

Interested in outfitting their Fujiko Self-Defense Force with support weaponry in an attempt to deal with technologically superior threats (Kuvexian pirates), limited production commenced in late YE 45 and mass production commenced in early YE 46. There are also rumors that the Reds largely entered the contracts in a bid to not look pathetic in the eyes of their Yamataian landlords and the neighboring Greens.

The Type 46 “Jade Stinger” Mortar System has two versions, mounted and unmounted. The unmounted consists of an integrated bipod at the front and an attachable baseplate at the rear. It has a long, slender barrel that tapers slightly towards the muzzle. The mounted version has the long, slender barrel attached to an actuator.

Effectively operating as a non-propelled mini-missile, the “Jade Stinger” 81mm mortar system is designed to provide indirect fire support. It is designed to be operated by both power armor and light infantry.

• Muzzle Flash: Upon firing, the mortar emits a brief but intense flash that is bell-shaped, expanding rapidly as the gases escape the muzzle. The flash can be bright white to yellow-orange in color.
• Retort: Deep, resonant boom
• Projectile Appearance: The fired mortar bomb is typically visible only as a fleeting shadow against the sky, except at night when the fuse may produce a faint glow. The color of the projectile itself is obscured by the speed of its travel and distance from the observer.
• Effective Range: 100 to 15,000 meters
• Rate of Fire: 12 rounds per minute
• Recoil: Extreme, but not designed to be held by the user
• Dimensions: 1500cm (length), 81mm (width), 100cm (depth)
• Weight: 25kg

• Firing Mechanism: The mortar utilizes a gravitational drop firing mechanism where the round is simply dropped down the muzzle. When the round hits the bottom, it triggers a plasma ignition system with ignites the round's built in propellant and inserted firing cap. After firing, the next round is loaded manually, which resets the system for the subsequent drop and fire cycle. The plasma ignition system can also be manually ignited with an external trigger.
• Loading: Rounds are loaded manually from the muzzle end. The crew member drops the mortar bomb into the barrel bottom end first, which then slides down to the firing pin.
• Mode Selector: There is no traditional mode selector on a mortar system. Instead, the rate of fire is controlled by the speed at which the crew can load and fire the subsequent rounds.
• Firing Modes: The mortar operates in single-fire mode only, with each round being loaded and fired individually to allow for adjustments in targeting after each shot.
• Safety Mechanism: The safety is a mechanical block that prevents the round from hitting the internal trigger. The tube also has to be at a proper firing angle for the safety to be disengaged.
• Weapon Sight: The tube is aimed using a combination of an internal firing computer linked sight and a bipod that allows for angular adjustments. The sight includes both a quadrant sight for elevation and a traverse mechanism to adjust for azimuth. Aiming stakes and a compass can be used for orientation should the firing computer no longer function.

Essentially modified mini-missiles, the 81x600mm mortar shell possess control fins and guidance systems that extend its range and ensure accuracy even in uncharted worlds.

• Ammunition: Sakura 81x600mm Mortar Shell
• Purpose: varies on type
• Round Capacity: 1 (does not contain a magazine with non-PA versions)/5 (PA versions)

Demibear created this article on 2023/11/20 04:39.

Approval Thread: https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/threads/sakura-machinery-jade-stinger-81mm-mortar.72122/