A system for stowing and deploying a mortar from a transport vehicle employs a hoist mechanism, a support frame, a pair of guide arms and a barrel-support strut attached to a transport vehicle. The support frame is adapted to be temporarily engaged with the mortar barrel, the base plate and the pair of stabilizer arms of the mortar to prevent relative motion between them during stowing and deployment. The hoist mechanism has a lift arm that pivots between a retracted and a deployed position. One end of the lift arm is hook shaped for detachable engagement with the support frame. A pair of guide arms extend in spaced parallel relation from the rear of the vehicle and serve to guide a trajectory of the mortar as it is being stowed or lowered to the ground.