120mm M-65

The M-65 is a 120mm smoothbore heavy mortar of Yugoslav origin, designed for indirect fire support against personnel and light fortifications. It is a robust and widely exported weapon system, known for its reliability and effectiveness in providing high-angle fire.

Developed by the Military Technical Institute Belgrade in the early 1960s, the M-65 was designed to replace aging Soviet-era heavy mortars with a more mobile, domestically produced alternative for the Yugoslav People's Army. The weapon officially entered service in 1965, becoming a standard organic fire support asset at the regiment and brigade levels. It saw extensive combat during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, where it was utilized by all factions, and was also exported to various nations in the Middle East and Africa, including Iraq. Today, the M-65 remains in active service or reserve status with several successor states of the former Yugoslavia, as well as various export operators worldwide.