The Jordan Design and Development Bureau (JODDB) developed the **AL-TARIQ** (frequently referenced as *Al-Tareq*) mobile mortar system to address the operational requirement for highly agile, rapid-deployment indirect fire support.
Designed to maximize the “shoot-and-scoot” tactical survivability concept, the platform integrates a deployable mortar system directly onto a light tactical vehicle chassis. This configuration allows mechanized and rapid-reaction units to deliver immediate close-support fire and rapidly redeploy before counter-battery radar can acquire their firing position.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: JODDB AL-TARIQ SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
Vehicle Integration & Mobility Framework
⚡ Prime Developer: Jordan Design and Development Bureau (JODDB)
⚡ Platform Class: Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) / Rapid-Deployment Wheeled Mortar Carrier
⚡ Strategic Mobility: High-speed road and cross-country transit capability, replacing legacy tracked platforms (such as M113-based mortar carriers) with a lower-logistical-footprint wheeled solution
⚡ Crew Configuration: Optimized for a lean operational crew to execute rapid deployment, manual/semi-automated loading, and immediate displacement 
Mortar Subsystem & Ammunition Stowage
💥 Primary Weapon Caliber: Integrated mortar architecture (featuring rapidly deployable configurations designed for high structural stability under recoil)
💥 Ammunition Capacity: Rear cargo bed configured to stow up to 72 mortar rounds, ensuring sustained mission endurance during high-tempo engagements
💥 Ammunition Handling: Manual feed mechanism designed for reliability and rapid crew execution under combat conditions
💥 Fire Control & Aiming: Advanced electronic fire-control suite combined with redundant manual aiming capabilities to guarantee operational flexibility during total power loss or electronic warfare interference
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The development and fielding of systems like JODDB’s AL-TARIQ highlight critical operational shifts in modern mobile artillery:
1. **Prioritizing “Shoot-and-Scoot” Survivability**: Traditional towed or heavy tracked mortars lack the rapid displacement speed required on modern battlefields dominated by counter-battery radar and loitering munitions. Light tactical vehicle integration allows units to fire and reposition within seconds.
2. **Optimizing Cost-to-Effectiveness Ratios for Regional Forces**: Developing indigenous mobile mortar systems enables regional militaries to achieve high-volume, precision-guided or conventional indirect fire support without the prohibitive acquisition and maintenance costs associated with tracked self-propelled howitzers.
3. **Balancing Electronic Automation with Manual Redundancy**: While advanced fire control accelerates target acquisition and ballistic calculation, retaining manual aiming and loading options ensures high system resilience in degraded electromagnetic or electronic warfare environments.
