Artillery

A group of weapons and weapon platforms designed to attack enemy forces from a distance. Modern artillery is designated to be an indirect weapon system, meaning that it does not need to see the target at which it is firing.

Artillery has long been a component of ground forces and often has been decisive in battle. The earliest forms of artillery were siege machines such as the catapult and trebuchet, which hurled stones at targets over great distances. The use of such weapons dates back more than 2,000 years to the days of the Roman Empire. The advent of gunpowder, however, provided the impetus for the development of modern artillery. Early gunpowder artillery was crude and limited in range, but steady improvements in military technology have dramatically increased its effectiveness. Artillery eventually earned the title “King of Battle,” and over time it has accounted for more battlefield deaths than any other type of weapon.

Shooting artillery involves many elements, including calculating firing data, observing and adjusting fire, and firing the guns, howitzers, or missiles. Firing data take into account factors such as the rotation of the earth, weather conditions (including atmospheric pressure), the elevation of both the weapon and the target, and the range to target. It also involves determining the right type of charge or explosive, the right type of explosive shell, and the proper fuse for the explosive and the selected target.

Artillery systems are generally composed of three parts: forward observers, fire direction and operational centers, and howitzer or missile systems. Forward observers (also called forward observation assets or fire support teams) are responsible for locating targets and adjusting fire to the target. Targeting often also includes the use of target-locating radars. Fire direction and operational centers make the technical and tactical decisions about firing, such as determining which targets should receive highest priority, while the howitzer or missile systems deliver the firepower requested by forward observers and approved by fire direction centers.

Modern artillery platforms are classified as either howitzers or missiles. U.S. Army howitzers include towed artillery such as the M119A2 105mm weapon and the M198 155mm weapon. The former has a range of approximately 12 km, whereas the latter can reach targets 30 km away using rocket-assisted projectiles. Lighter howitzers are transportable by motorized vehicles, armored vehicles, helicopters, and military transport aircraft. The Army also deploys self-propelled artillery such as the 155mm M109A6 Paladin, which has a range of 22 km (30 km with rocket-assisted projectiles).

Missile systems used by the Army include the M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the ATACMS missile system. The MLRS missiles carry dual-purpose warheads and have a range of 31 km, and ATACMS can strike targets as far away as [Page 46]165 km. Planned technological improvements to the ATACMS system will extend its range to as much as 400 km. More advanced warheads are also being developed for both MLRS and ATACMS.

A unique feature of artillery is its all-weather, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week capability to provide “steel on target.” Bad weather may ground all forms of aircraft and helicopter, but artillery is unaffected by rain, sleet, snow, or storms. Artillery has also proven itself to be an all-terrain weapon, used not only in the deserts of Kuwait and Iraq but also in the mountains of Afghanistan and Korea, the jungles of Vietnam and Panama, and the islands of Grenada and Haiti. Artillery also allows for the engagement of targets far beyond the immediate range of ground forces. With increased advances in targeting—such as laser-guided munitions and miniaturized computer-guidance systems—that capability is likely to increase and remain relevant.

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