While the 2200 155 mm artillery pieces which will soon be in the West are the subject of all attention, the replacement of the 105 mm howitzers and 122 mm cannons currently in service, and which are also reaching obsolescence , do not seem to generate as much appetite from industrialists, but also from armies, particularly in the West.
It is true that the War in Ukraine, if it put artillery back at the center of the chessboard of land forces, after 30 years of disinterest linked to asymmetric conflicts and the decline in global tensions, above all showed the immense plus -value of the new 155 mm systems, equipped with 52 caliber long tubes. This is how the French Caesar cannon is today, the terror of Russian gunners, in their own words.
So, the 105 mm howitzer, and its Soviet counterpart, the 122 mm cannon, are they destined to disappear from inventories in the years to come, to free up space and resources for the benefit of 155 mm cannons, or even 120 mm mortars? The question deserves to be asked, especially since they represent a potential market of almost 9000 artillery pieces.
In this section:
Does the 105mm howitzer still have its place in modern armies?
Spiritual successor to the French 75 mm cannon of the First World War, the 105 mm howitzer represented the most important artillery component of Western forces during the Second World War and the Cold War, particularly during the Korean and Indochinese conflicts. and Vietnamese.
Lighter than 155 mm pieces, they could be quickly towed into a firing zone, or even air-transported by plane, or by helicopter if necessary. Its shell, with a mass of less than 20 kg, is also twice as light and less bulky than that of the 155 mm, allowing a reduced team of operators to implement the part, while reducing logistics.
In fact, the 105mm has long been the artillery piece of choice for lighter units, such as Marines, mountain or airborne troops, alongside mortars with complementary capabilities.
In addition, even if its military load of 2 kg is 3 to 5 times lower than that of 155 mm shells, this caliber proved very effective against infantry, even against unarmored vehicles, or in counter-battery fire.
A caliber caught between the 120 mm mortar and the 155 mm cannon
However, the appetite of the armed forces, and therefore of industrialists, particularly in the West, seems to have diminished considerably regarding the 105 mm howitzer, especially over the last ten years.
As mentioned previously, the arrival of long-tube 155 mm guns played an important role in this disenchantment. Indeed, a light 105 mm howitzer, like the very effective LG-1 from Thales, has an effective range of 17 km with conventional shell, a significant difference, but not spectacular, with the range of 22 to 25 km of the cannons. 155 mm of 39 calibers, like the American M109, or the French AUF1.
There are 75% of this article left to read, Subscribe to access it!
The Classic subscriptions provide access to
articles in their full version, and without advertising,
from 1,99 €.
