The M2 mortar is a 60 millimeter smoothbore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used by U.S. forces in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War for light infantry support.

The M2 Mortar is a 60 millimeter smoothbore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used by U.S. forces in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War for light infantry support. The U.S. M2 60 mm mortar was developed from the heavier 81 mm M1 Mortar to provide a lighter-weight alternative to company-level fire support.

During the Vietnam War, the US Army found out that 81-mm M29 mortar units were not maneuverable enough on the battlefield, because the weapon they carried was too heavy, had relatively short range and almost always required to be used from fixed emplacements. This led it to be replaced by the lighter weight 60-mm M-19 mortar.

The M224 LWCMS (Lightweight Company Mortar System) replaced the older (WWII -era) 60 mm M2 mortar and the inaccurate M19 Mortar and began fielding as prototypes in the mid-1970s during the Vietnam War. The M2s and M19s had an effective range of only 2,000 m (2,187 yd).