Ukrainian Forces Utilize Groundbreaking Polish M120 Rak in Combat

A video has surfaced online showing Ukrainian soldiers using the M120 Rak self-propelled mortar. This weapon, produced in Poland, is among the best supplied to the front as part of Western support and remains almost untraceable by the Russians. We offer a closer look at its characteristics and capabilities.

The M120 Rak has been manufactured by the Huta Stalowa Wola plants since 2016 and is often touted as the most modern weapon globally. It wasn't created from scratch; the designers used the wheeled chassis of the highly regarded armoured personnel carrier KTO Rosomak.

A key feature of the M120 Rak is the 120 mm calibre mortar with a barrel length of 25 calibres. This allows it to hit targets about 12 kilometres away, with a firing rate of 6-8 rounds per minute. Consequently, the onboard stock of 46 shells can be deployed against the enemy within a few minutes. The latest video published on social media showcases the interior of the M120 Rak and a Ukrainian soldier operating the system.

This is the first recording of its kind from Ukraine. The M120 Rak is a piece of equipment seldom seen in front-line reports. According to publicly available information, Kyiv has received three company modules. As explained by Norbert Garbarek, a journalist at Virtual Poland, using the Polish military as an example, each consists of eight mortars, three ammunition vehicles, two reconnaissance vehicles, four command vehicles, and an armament repair vehicle.

The vehicle, measuring nearly 8 metres in length, is powered by a Scania D1 12 56A03PE engine with an output of 490 HP. Thanks to this, the crew can accelerate the M120 Rak to over 80 km/h speeds.