General Facts
- TYPE
Mortar - ORIGIN
China - NICKNAMES
PP87 (Chinese military designation for W87) - DESIGNED
Early 1980's - DESIGNER
Xinshidai - PRODUCTION
1980's - present - PRODUCERS China - Norinco
- QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Good range
Limited weight
Limited rate of fire
Introduction
The W87 is a mortar of Chinese origin. It was developed to replace the Type 53 and Type 67 82mm mortars in Chinese service. It is the first Chinese mortar in 81mm and is widely used by Chinese forces.
Layout
The W87 is an improved version of the Type 67 mortar. Its main novelty is the recoil buffer that is wrapped around the barrel. A conventional bipod and triangular baseplate are fitted. It fires 81mm mortar round of Chinese design, but NATO ammunition can also be used. Based on the same design the W84 is available for 82mm Soviet rounds and as the long range W91 which features a longer barrel.
Firepower
The W87 fires 81mm shells out to 5.6 km, or even 6 km with special ammunition. The W84 fires standard 82mm shells out to 4.7 km and 5.7 km with special ammunition. The maximum rate of fire of both models is 20 rpm. The W91 long range model has a maximum range of 8 km with a new type of bomb and has a maximum rate of fire of over 25 rpm.
Mobility
The W87 is slightly heavier than the Type 67 mortar it was to replace, but is still man portable.
Users
The W87 is the standard mortar of the Chinese forces. It has also been exported to various nations in both 81mm and 82mm.
W87
The W87 is a mortar of conventional design and the first Chinese mortar to be chambered in 81mm. The W91 is a long range model based on the W87. The W91 has a longer barrel and longer recoil buffer around the barrel. Instead of a triangular baseplate a round baseplate is used.
| Type | Mortar |
|---|---|
| Crew | ? |
| Ordnance | 81mm smoothbore mortar, 1.4 m tube |
| Elevation | +45 to +85° |
| Traverse | 4° left and right |
| Rate of fire | 20 rpm (max) |
|---|---|
| Range | 120 m to 5.6 km (standard rounds), 6 km (special rounds |
| Carriage | None |
| Weight | 39.7 kg |
| Length | ? |
| Width | ? |
|---|---|
| Height | ? |
| Towing vehicle | - |
| Speed | - |
| Remarks | - |
| Type | Mortar |
|---|---|
| Crew | ? |
| Ordnance | 81mm smoothbore mortar, 1.65 m tube |
| Elevation | +45 to +85° |
| Traverse | 4° left and right |
| Rate of fire | >25 rpm (max) |
|---|---|
| Range | 8 km (special rounds) |
| Carriage | None |
| Weight | 65 kg |
| Length | ? |
| Width | ? |
|---|---|
| Height | ? |
| Towing vehicle | - |
| Speed | - |
| Remarks | - |
W84
The W84 is similar to the W87 in design, but has a 82mm diameter barrel in order to fire 82mm Soviet rounds. The W84 can be distinguished from the W87 by its circular baseplate with pieces cut out to reduce weight. It is possible that the W84 was developed first and that the W87 was developed for export. When the Chinese decided to adopt the 81mm standard the roles reversed.
- Specifications:
- W84
| Type | Mortar |
|---|---|
| Crew | ? |
| Ordnance | 82mm smoothbore mortar, 1.4 m tube |
| Elevation | +45 to +85° |
| Traverse | 3° left and right |
| Rate of fire | 20 rpm (max) |
|---|---|
| Range | 4.660 km (standard rounds), 5.7 km (special rounds) |
| Carriage | None |
| Weight | 38.5 kg |
| Length | ? |
| Width | ? |
|---|---|
| Height | ? |
| Towing vehicle | - |
| Speed | - |
| Remarks | - |
82mm M37
The W87 was developed as a more capable alternative to older 82mm mortars such as the Soviet M37 series.
