The use of missiles, particularly at the tactical level, has led to continuous improvement of armed conflict mediums. The artillery has faced numerous improvement demands, including: expanding firing range, maneuverability, fire production, light weight and protection of crew members against conventional weapons, in general and nuclear weapons, in particular.

Figuring high among artillery improvements to increase maneuverability is giving the artillery auto mobility without the need for towing.

Mount on tracked vehicles, this advantage allows the gun to accompany tanks in the field in addition to quick response. It will be able to open fire while moving or half a minute after stopping. Some guns will be able to conduct circular shelling and conduct maneuvers immediately after the shelling (adopting the fire-and-withdrawal tactic). Meanwhile, the towed gun needs half an hour to be reloaded after stoppage. The automobile gun can protect the crew against:

First: automobile artillery:

The development of the automobile gun began on the eve of the World War II and continued during the war. The gun was mounted on the hull of a tank, allowing the support fire power to accompany the quick armor assault. Mounted on T35 tanks, the SU14 automobile Soviet gun entered the battle in 1940. Meanwhile, mounted on M2 tanks, the automobile M7 US gun also entered the battle in 1942. Also, the development of automobile guns continued after the war at high rates and in big armament in most countries of the world, replacing the towed artillery.

The Americans classify artillery into two basic categories: close proximity support artillery and general support artillery: the close proximity support artillery executes direct fire support for front line fighting units, destroying targets on the second defense lines. As for the general support, the artillery controls zones up to 30 kilometers deep, while missiles control distances further than that. Recently, artillery crew tried to further increase the range of artillery shells through high auto energy and rocket projectiles. However they faced such problems as precision, the results, ruptured gun barrels and crew inability to work under stress situations.

Britain has developed its artillery, producing at the end of World War II the automobile Archer artillery system (76.2mm) in the 1960s; it also produced the automobile Abbot FF433 artillery system (105mm). Currently, Britain, Germany and Italy are producing a new advanced 155mm gun. It will enter service in two versions: the first is towed FN70 and the second automobile SB70.

In France, a 105mm gun was mounted on MX13 tank early in the 1950s. Also, a 105MX automobile gun was produced. At the end of the 1970s, the tank itself was improved to mount a 155mm gun thereon. Also produced was the MX-GST gun. Currently, France is developing a modern 155mm gun named T.D.

In the 1950s, the Soviet Union continued field artillery development research. Tests on mounting the gun on a mobile base led to the production of the automobile SU100 gun (100mm) in the mid-fifties and it is still in use. Various caliber guns have continued to be produced. These included the light automobile gun A-O57 (57mm), weighing 3 tons and the ASU85 (85mm), weighing 14 tons. The air defense forces was supplied with the two versions due to their easy transportation to the battle field using parachutes for unloading  them from military transport planes. Also produced were the two versions of the 122mm gun, towed D74, automobile SU-122, also two versions of 152mm gun, towed D-20 and automobile SU152) the towing mediums were developed, including the tracked vehicle for towing in the battle field and wheeled towing vehicles for few distances. The shelling artillery was incorporated in the armored and mechanized formations to bolster their artillery effectiveness.

The massive use of tanks in fighting actions and increasing their armor thickness, high mobility and maneuverability requires the improvement of the artillery M/D to enhance its armor penetration ability by increasing the shell’s initial velocity, using hollow projectiles, short shells and non-retreat artilleries mounted on tanks to become auto mobile. This made it imperative to obtain heavy artillery to achieve high initial velocity and effective shell penetration.

The above shows that the artillery has undergone tangible development since the World War II. Moreover, the development of artillery ammunition and fire power guidance systems has been wider and more massive, increasing precision and efficiency. The artillery is now capable of firing highly explosive anti-armor and anti-personnel projectiles using laser, wireless and infra-red radiation guidance to the target immediately on launching or at the final stage of its flight on its propeller.

The Americans currently use the anti-personnel M546 shells each containing 8000 flakes. They also use the M413 and M444 shells made up of minute anti-personnel bearings. The Americans gave special attention to the development of enhanced conventional shells, some of them containing 88 dual purpose mines with anti-light armor, vehicles and personnel filling. Others contain 9 anti-armor magnetic mines. It said that they are currently capable of halting all types of tanks. It they do not explode, they are capable of auto-destruction after a certain period of time. Meanwhile, the Soviets have striven to develop artillery ammunition, utilizing scientific advances to improve the enhanced conventional shells.

In view of the massive artillery development (including high maneuverability, extensive fire power production and effectiveness) there was a need for providing audio-visual and radar reconnaissance mediums as well as reliable means of communications. The artillery units have been supplied with nocturnal vision gear, distance indicators as well as the topographic geodesic mediums. This is in addition to advanced shooting gear using computers to accelerate the arrangement of shelling elements and achieve fire power accuracy and effectiveness, regardless of time, season or weather conditions.

Second: field rocket artillery:

Modern technology has besieged artillery from various directions, including rocket artillery also known as Stalin’s organs. Rocket projectiles were among the first advanced artillery types. They have undergone steady development from one generation to another in order to utilize their advantages, particularly the potential of being fired from relatively cheap light launchers. The intensive missile assault has played a central role in the Soviet fire power principle since World War II, using the Katyusha system. However, these systems have a precision defect in the case of long-range shelling. This in turn restricted their use to short-range action. Presently, the rocket artillery has overcome the precision problem and could now be compared to the best conventional artillery types, using modern manufacturing technologies.

The Soviets possess various rocket launchers ranging from 122mm to 250mm, mounted in group forms up to 40 missiles. The most common is the 122mm BM-21 with 40 missile guidance tracks and a 21-kilometer firing range. The firing could be made by one detachment in less than one minute or by selected blasts. Reloading could be completed in 10 minutes. Moreover, West Germany is producing the 100mm LARS rocket artillery based on its World War II experience. 36 rockets are mounted on the vehicle with a 10-12 kilometer range.

Since the early 1970s, NATO countries have been referring to Warsaw pact’s artillery quantitative and qualitative superiority over their artillery. They are currently trying to produce a rocket artillery system sponsored by America, West Germany, Britain and France. It is comprised of an advanced MLRS launch base carrying twelve 227mm missiles, each warhead weighs 159 kilograms and contains 644, M-77 small bombs, each weighing 230 grams. Each launcher is capable of firing 7728 small bombs from its 12 missiles in less than 60 seconds for a range of 30-32 kilometers to hit lightly armed targets such as infantry missiles and artillery batteries.

It has to be noted that the Zionist entity currently has two types of rocket artilleries produced by the Israeli military establishment (LAR and Mar).

1\ Israeli-made ALAR-160 rocket launcher:

It was produced in 1984 and delivered to the Israeli army. The French AMX-13 light tank was used as a mobile launcher carrying the rockets. The launcher has two rocket-sustainers each holding 18 tubular pads. In addition to the launchers, there is the LAR-160 battery detachment which contains a fire power guidance system and 160mm ammunition movement vehicles and a lighting mechanism to reload the launchers. The artillery part of the launcher has been manufactured separately and could be mounted on various mobile launchers, be they tracked or not. The number of rocket sustainers in each launcher ranges from 18 to 26, 36 and 50.

The glass-reinforced plastic tubes are packed with unguided 160mm missiles and are tightly sealed at the manufacturing factory. The direction mechanisms are operated by electro-hydraulic conveyors. Each LAR-160 fire unit is comprised of four types of unguided missiles; one of them is in the form of a rocket-sustainer equipped with 144 fragmented combat element- M-77 hollow shell, U.S. made.

2\ Israeli made MAR-350 missile launcher:

This is a new rocket system tested early in the 1990s. With a range of 70 kilometers, it is mounted on the French AMX-13 light tank. The fire direction system includes: special control missiles, tracking radars to follow up the missile courses, electronic calculator (the radar and calculator are fixed on the single -cabin vehicle. The system could serve four launchers. The combat section of the 350mm unguided missiles include: radar guidance reflectors. So, the four missiles are launched at specific intervals and the radar tracks the flight course of these missiles automatically.

The electronic calculator compares the average value of the four boosters before determining the corrections to the radars of the shooting devices.

Third: field artillery projectiles and rocket models:

It is difficult to enumerate the types of projectiles for each and every type of field artillery, specially the auto mobile artilleries.

Excluding calibers less than 122mm, all these types are designed to launch all types of conventional artillery shells (to be listed later) with the exception of guided rocket artillery projectiles, only launched by the American made 155mm and 203.2mm.

1\ types of conventional field artillery projectiles:

The list includes 14 types of munitions launched by towed or automobile artillery, such as explosive, incendiary, fragmentation, smoke, mining, piercing, flare, anti-armor, chemical, cluster, shrapnel …etc.

2\ guided missiles launched by field artillery:

Western military experts consider munitions and guided missiles launched by field and rocket artillery as the basic medium to enhance shelling in the battle field and the most effective long-range anti-tank and anti-armor medium, firing from concealed positions.

Such high precision munitions should have the following prerequisites:

a.         The missile’s flight range should not be less than 80% of that of the normal round.

b.         It should not have more than 0.9 of the mistake of normal round.

c.          Preservation of effectiveness even under distortion circumstances (smoke screens, dust, fake targets).

d.         Effective auto-direction system to discover targets up to the target picking distance by auto-guidance head (2-5 kilometers).

Facts show that Western countries have several types of guided missiles launched by field artillery, mortars and rocket artillery, including copper head M-712, SADARM M-836, the German made mortar round “posard” and he Swedish made mortar round “Streak” and the US made GAMP.

The following are the basic specifications of the most famous U.S made guided missiles:

1\ the guided missile M-712 COPPER HEAD:

Date of manufacture 1986, caliber 155mm, maximum fire range: up to 10 kilometers, potential for first round hitting target 0.8, weight 62.3 kilograms, length 1380mm, direction system: semi-positive laser, intended target: several armor targets, delivery medium of COPPER HEAD: US artillery 155mm, particularly the automobile gun M-109, 155mm.

2\ guided missile SADARM M-836:

Guided missile, U.S. made, date of manufacture 1987, caliber 203.2, maximum fire range: 22 kilometers, potential for first round striking target: (0.2 – 0.5), weigh 92 kilograms, length 1140mm, direction system: negative radiometric, intended target: tank and armored vehicles, delivery medium: U.S. launcher (M-110), 203.2mm, auto mobile.

Fourth: development prospects for field artillery and munitions:

1\ barreled artillery and mortars:

The basic trend for development of barreled artillery in NATO countries shall be determined – as was the case in the past- according to the requirements of the fighting actions theories. However, the modernization of the artillery corps tends in general to opt for increased fire power, mobility, agility, persistence and tactical independence.

NATO experts are of the opinion that a considerable increase of barreled artillery fire power will be achieved by increasing the fire range, velocity and precision. Also, the long-range fire could be achieved in the near future by using enhanced aerodynamic rounds supplied with gas generators, positive missiles, enhancement of ballistic boosting properties (within the barrel nozzle, increasing barrel’s length and reloading size.

However, the most effective future trend for increasing fire range lies in the use of non-conventional launch methods as the fire range in 2015 from guns with modern barrels nozzles shall extend up to 30-40 kilometers or even 50 kilometer (for certain types of artillery) as per the type of shell.

Meanwhile, a marked increase in velocity shall be achieved by using liquid shelling substances technology (maximum velocity could reach 12-16 rounds per minute).

A large increase in mobility rates could be achieved soon according to the increase in artillery auto-mobility (availability of towed artillery auto-mobility), weigh decrease, dimensions and a reduction of the time required for shifting from the movement state to the fighting state and vice-versa.

Artillery’s agility (persistence) shall be enhanced by increasing auto-protection ability, ridding it of weakness points. Auto-tactical independence of the future artillery could be realized by the modernization of guidance mediums, topographic linkage and computer systems. This will provide the following:

-           Auto-topographic linkage.

-           Automatic reception of target data from fire command center or directly from reconnaissance mediums

-           Quick and accurate computation of initial data required for shelling and artillery guidance, efficient control of automatic reloading and resumption of shooting. In a nutshell, it is inevitable to ensure a high degree of automation of all launch preparation and execution of operations by providing the future artillery with fire-direction systems. In best case scenario it could include a topographic linkage and guidance block, a computer with small monitor, automatic transmitter-receiver, computer-linked coder, and computer-linked electronic device to install the fuse or detonator as well asartillery direction leverage and various sensors.

In all the above cases, raising the technical standard of barreled artillery is realized by manufacturing new guns and modernization of the types that constitute the back-bone of the US army’s barreled artillery corps and the 155mm M-109 U.S. made automobile artillery. These types are being used by (heavy) land forces formations.

Meanwhile, the 105mm guns are used by the (light) divisions. Also, the 2,2.3mm guns are used by artillery battalions returning to land forces’ corps.

To enhance technological standard and lengthen service investment, the automobile artillery have undergone several modernization and renewal phases. The modernized automobile 155mm 109-A\2 A\3 have entered the ground forces service in most NATO countries since 1978.

The final modernization phase of this type has begun since the early 1990s. It was supplied with a fire direction system ensuring auto-independent topographic linkage and automatic reception of target data from fire power command center or reconnaissance mediums, quick accurate computation of shelling values and artillery direction. This modernized gun is exemplified by the (CGM-109 – A6), 155mm gun, or Paladin. Its maximum range of fire is up to 40 kilometers by positive missile projectiles and up to 30 kilometers by normal rounds. Meanwhile, the other artillery guns (towed 105mm, automobile 105mm, towed and automobile 2,2.3mm) are not promising future artillery pieces, and there are no plans so far for manufacturing new versions of them.

The modernization of towed field guns could only include marginal modernization of the 105mm/ towed munitions, M-119 and M-102 and the guns 155mm/ towed munitions M-198, to increase range and velocity.

The promising field gun of the future is the AC Crusader which will enter the arsenal of NATO ground forces during the period (2005 – 2010). This system is comprised of the auto mobile 155mm gun and an armored conveyance and reloading mechanism. Its maximum fire range using the XM-982 shells could reach 48 kilometers. The NATO command believes that this gun would be the basic medium among the fire reconnaissance systems in the US and NATO joint ground formations (brigade, division).

The mortars should soon have a greater role as direct fire support mediums. This is attributable first and foremost to the tendency to undertake peacekeeping missions during regional conflicts.

Basic efforts focus on developing the mortars to acquire fighting properties such as: high agility, tactical independence, maneuverability and mobility on the battle ground and potential for using 120mm high precision rounds (Posard). This is in addition to quick reaction upon receiving orders to open fire, forming automobile, armored high precision mortar systems with automated guidance, feeding, preparation and entry of initial fire data.

The mortars of the future should fulfill the requirements of the guns being produced in the .S. and Britain, including the automobile 120mm QAMC and the potential fire range of 8-10 kilometers by ordinary rounds or the 12-15 kilometers range and 10-15 rounds per minute by the high precision positive missile projectiles.

As a result of scientific research, studies and experiments in NATO countries, the ground forces will acquire within 10-15 years a new generation of high precision field artillery pieces.

2\ torrent shelling missile systems:

At the tail end of the last century, the torrent shelling missile systems acquired added importance as an effective field artillery medium, particularly the automobile artillery.

The advantages of missile launchers include their ability to execute surprise intensive strikes against hostile vital forces and military hardware, using heavy shelling. This is in addition to mobile launchers, maneuverability, simple design, easy installation and the potential for using different types of missiles.

Reference should also be made to the role of missile launchers to provide successful cover for vulnerable flanks, destroy airborne forces and halt enemy advance in defense depth. Thus, the wide scope of missions undertaken by missile launchers hinges on the great diversity of the highly technical launchers.

The most important tactical operational requirements approved by NATO experts during the impact on all types of collective targets and the entire depth of the enemy forces’ tactical zone (25-30 kilometers). This is in addition to high agility, air transportation and finally the general diversified use of the launchers.

To fulfill this condition, the modernization of the missile launchers is taking the following directions: increasing the fire range, enhancing precision, increasing effectiveness with respect to strikes on targets, decreasing weight and potential for other types of missiles. The enhancement could be achieved by increasing caliber, using a mixture of high -energy dry fuel and modernization (installation) of missile launchers and the manufacturing technology thereof.

The US is manufacturing a missile launcher (ER-MLRS) with a 45-kilometer range. To enhance precision, the system is provided with a special computer capable of handling and computing wind velocity. Moreover, enhancing precision is achieved through modernization of fire direction devices, topographic linkage and the use of exemplary systems to execute the shelling. The MLRS missile launcher’s fire direction system is IFEX which enhances precision.

Effectiveness is realized by increasing warheads and manufacturing fragmentation charges filled with high precision elements (SADARM or BAT). Another option is to increase mines, projectiles and smart munitions.

Current research and studies seek to modify the MRLS launcher, converting it into a high -mobility missile defense system. Known as HIMARS, it is capable of maneuvering and mounted on the chassis of a 5-ton truck. The system could be transported by a C-130 plane, it has one missile or one rocket-sustainer for movement and launch.

Potential for using this launcher for firing other types of missiles is achieved by manufacturing new systems on the U.S. made MLRS launcher’s pads for firing ATLAMS missiles and other types.

The analysis of the modernization of missile launchers indicates that the US army (ground forces) will acquire in 2015 various types of missile launchers such as MLRS, AIR-MLRS and HIMARS, armed with unguided, modernized missiles, with warhead charged with four high-precision SADARM projectiles or one high-precision BAT (see table 1).

Tactical-technical properties and specification of missile launchers up to 2015:

It is noteworthy that 18 Arab states (with the exception of Iraq, Somalia, Djibouti and the Comoro Islands) possess about 10857 field artillery pieces of various categories. Meanwhile, the Zionist entity presently has 1550 field artillery pieces including 400 towed and 289 automobile guns. Also Iran’s ground forces have 2284 artillery pieces, including 289 auto mobile guns.