Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division conduct simulated combat operations using the Scorpion Light 81 mm mobile mortar system at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Oct. 23, 2025. (Global Military Products)
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — Soldiers in Hawaii spent last week testing a “shoot-and-scoot” mobile mortar system as part of the Army’s Transformation in Contact initiative that aims to speedily field new technology, according to the manufacturer.
Over five days, soldiers at Schofield Barracks fired and evaluated the Scorpion Light 81 mm mobile mortar system, made by Global Military Products, based in Tampa, Fla.
The system was integrated with the “utility” variant of the Army’s new infantry squad vehicle, which vastly expands and speeds maneuverability for soldiers.
Each of the pairs of vehicles used in testing carried the system and 72 mortar rounds, the company said in a news release Wednesday.
The Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division began testing about 100 infantry squad vehicles last fall.
The vehicle, based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, is small enough to be loaded into a Chinook or Stallion helicopter and light enough to be sling-loaded under a Black Hawk helicopter.
The Scorpion Light mortar system can fire eight rounds and completely relocate in under two minutes, according to the release.
The system possesses a baseplate that allows rapid placement and displacement on almost any surface, the release states.
“I was a former mortarman, and the technology hasn’t changed much since WWII,” James Knight, senior manager of defense systems and energetics at Global Military Products, said in an email Monday.
“Vehicles are now able to carry the system, and no longer rely on a trailer to improve mobility, but the Scorpion Light offers significant advantages beyond that to enhance the mobility, lethality, operator safety and air transportability of these assets,” he said.
“This ‘shoot and scoot’ capability is critical for survivability on a modern battlefield, allowing mortar teams to engage targets and reposition before an adversary can return effective counter-battery fire,” he said.
Knight described the system as “ideal” for light infantry and expeditionary forces that would be at the forefront of combat deployments in the Pacific.
“An advanced digital fire control system enabled rapid, accurate targeting and re-aiming with minimal crew intervention,” the release stated. “Soldiers used this capability to engage multiple targets quickly and efficiently during simulated combat operations.”
The system can receive and act on targeting data provided from remote sources, such as ground observers or aircraft.
The Scorpion combat simulation was part of the Army’s Transformation in Contact 2.0, which is an expansion of the initiative to integrate new technology by having soldiers test it in actual field conditions while it is still under development.
TiC 2.0 expands beyond the initiative’s initial infantry brigades to include two divisions, two armored brigade combat teams, two Stryker brigade combat teams and other National Guard and Army Reserve units, U.S. Army Pacific said in an email Monday.
The system will be used in November in Hawaii during the 25th Infantry Division’s Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center combat training, Knight said.
During that training, mortar-equipped ISVs will be transported on C-17 aircraft to participate in combat drill scenarios, he said.
The exercise will take place on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii and at Laur Firebase in Luzon, Philippines, the Army said in a news release Friday.
U.S. soldiers will be joined by personnel from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, France and New Zealand, among others, the Army said.
