In 2009, the Expal EIMOS prototype was presented with an 81mm mortar mounted on the rear of an 4×4 URO Rebeco VAMTAC light vehicle. Note that 81mm mortar was not the Israeli CARDOM model finally chosen.After intense trials and certain problems during testing phase, the Israeli 81mm CARDOM mortar was finally selected as the weapon for EIMOS self-propelled mortar system. Unfortunately this phase produced problems between the Spanish Ministry of Defense and two of the three companies aspiring to the production contract. The two Spanish companies, (NTGS and Expal), accused the Ministry of clear favoritism with the Israeli Elbit Systems company.EIMOS can open fire within ten seconds of locating a target. This short reaction time is essential in the event of an ambush. This vehicle was quickly dispatched to the Spanish units deployed in Afghanistan.It is possible to mount two different types of mortar, 81mm or 60mm, and can be exchanged in a very short time. EIMOS is an excellent support system for light units on patrol or convoy escort missions.The 81mm mortar can fire 25 grenades per minute at a maximum distance of 7 km. On the other hand, the 60mm mortar can fire 35 grenades at almost 5 km.The EIMOS has a recoil absorption system that absorbs 90% of the force transmitted to the carrier vehicle after the shot. EIMOS provides light infantry units with great firepower as well as high precision and mobility on a light and easy to transport platform.This is the surprisingShepherd-1000 mini UAV that is offered for the EIMOS system. With the appearance of a bird of prey, it can easily pass undetected during its reconnaissance missions.The accuracy of this mortar is estimated around 2 meters thanks to the automatic calculation system that automatically adds corrections if EIMOS changes its position.This 81mm EIMOSCARDOM belongs to the Spanish Army’s Paratrooper Brigade and the system is mounted on a 4×4 URO VAMTAC S.3 BN-2 light protected vehicle. The EIMOS system must be operated by at least 2 servers, and the 81mm mortar can be used in a conventional mode by disassembling it from the vehicle if necessary. The Spanish Army had purchased 10 EIMOS systems and the Bahrain Army has added another six systems for their Special Forces, being the first customer to put it into service, at the end of 2016.This is the TALOS shooting data calculation system. It counts with the GPS, a laser telemeter and inertial navigators .In addition, it carries the terminals that advanced observers carry to perform the calculation and the ballistic corrections in an automatic way.The vehicle carries 48 grenades for immediate use and also has the possibility of towing a half tonne trailer with extra ammunition for sustained fire missions.
