Turning a mortar into a precision weapon

To power the electronics, the design team chose TLM-1530HP lithium batteries from Tadiran Batteries, Port Washington, N.Y. The batteries meet BAE and Darpa requirements for size, weight, and performance, something 3-V CR2 consumer batteries could not. (CR2s could not operate in cold environments and have a shelf life of only five years.) The TLM modules, though the same size as CR2s, supply 4 V, and can maintain pulses of 15 A in temperatures from –40 to 85°C, according to Tadiran. Their shelf life is 20 years. Eventually, the 60-mm mortar will fire laser-guided munitions equipped with an optical seeker.