Politics: Look down the barrel of this 120 mm mortar used by US Marine artillery units

The 120 mm mortar system, developed by the French, has been use by US Marines since 2001.

The US Marines hosted Marine Day this weekend in New York City, where they held demonstrations and showed off some of their vehicles and weapons.

One weapon on display was a 120 mm mortar system — the biggest mortar system the Marines have.

It's moved to, from, and around the battlefield by an Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV), which is basically a jeep that can be used for transporting multiple weapons systems and even reconnaissance.

The 120 mm mortar system is actually a French design that entered service in that country in the 1990s. The US Marines began using it in Afghanistan in 2001.

This is how the 120 mm mortar hooks to the back of the ITV for transportation.

While the ITV is quick and highly mobile, it has no armor and is mostly deployed on the peripheries of the battlefield.

Here's a view of the gears and the inside of the ITV.

Here's a driver-side view out of the ITV.

A Marine spins a child on the machine-gun swivel, which supports up to .50 caliber weapons.

The 120 mm mortar rounds reach altitudes of almost 8,000 feet, have a range of about 5 miles, and a blast radius of nearly 250 feet.

One Marine said that the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit that is currently in Syria hitting ISIS with howitzers probably have the 120 mm mortar system with them but don't use it much, if at all.

To load the mortar system, a Marine has to get on the metal stand, seen in front, and drop the round.

Watch your head!

See the 120 mm mortar system firing here.

The 120 mm mortar system, developed by the French, has been use by US Marines since 2001. Read Full Story