Gezogene Artillerie und Mörser

[Quintus Fabius]

https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2022/02/t...placement/

The L118 Light Gun and Future Requirements

In these discussions we always come back to a discussion on requirements, what do we want.

Why do we need artillery guns in the first place? Especially when there are so many precision missiles, mortars and loitering munitions available?

Targets within the range of artillery can be engaged. If effective targeting and command and control arrangements are in place.

The long-range of artillery produces a large area of influence. A gun with a range of 10km can influence an area of over 310km2 for example. Distribute guns over a wide area or increase range and the area influenced increases. Many targets can be attacked in that area at the same time or fire concentrated on one.

Effects can include suppression, to cause casualties and damage, or destroy. Non-lethal effects include illumination or multi-spectral obscurants (smoke) for example.

Precision guidance kits allow them to attack point targets. sub-munitions dispensers, electronic jamming and even leaflet payloads are available.

For the UK, the L118 Light Gun is in service with light role forces such as 16AAB and 3CDO, although not limited to those. Mobility is a key success factor and concept of employment.

Some argue that the utility of such forces is low, even against non-peer enemy forces. The proliferation of low-cost ISTAR and precision systems results in low survivability. My view is that despite this, their utility and value remain. Not every force element can have the protection of a CR3. Not every force element will need to engage heavy armour. Mobility, even at the expense of protection and firepower, has enduring value.

Accepting enduring value means accepting equipment used must be mobile. The mobility of light role forces is compromised by heavy and complex equipment. Reliability is not guaranteed by simplicity, but simplicity has value. Maintainability is also valued, and extensive service support resources are less available.

Historical analysis is only ever one part of looking forward, but it is still important.

L118 Light Gun deployments often illustrate mobility as a key success factor.

Deploying them in ISO containers to the Balkans.

Flying them ashore from an aircraft carrier with helicopters in Sierra Leone.

Stripping and dragging them up a rocky pinnacle by hand in Afghanistan

All made possible by small size and low weight.

Enabling mobility means understanding the physical constraints of transport infrastructure and equipment. In practice, helicopter underslung weight limits, aircraft hold dimensions and ISO container capacity.

If mobility matters, so do size and weight, a lot.

120mm Mortars, Other Calibres and What About Those Loitering Munitions eh[quote]

127mm:

[quote]The reporting on the DSTL concept study mentioned 127 mm, an intermedia calibre. The 5-inch (127-mm) 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 Naval Gun system offers potential for commonality. Sharing ammunition logistics with the Royal Navy and development for smart munitions. The is attractive, and the fragmentation and target effects will be superior to 105 mm.

Unfortunately, no other land weapons use 127mm and haven’t since the days of the 60 Pounder and Green Mace.

120mm Mörser:

Replacing 105 mm guns with 120 mm mortars also has many advocates. You would be hard-pressed to find many that think it would be a bad idea.

Our allies use 120 mm mortars. 120 mm mortars have a high trajectory, well suited to mountainous, forest and urban terrain, they can use traditional bipod and baseplate as above.

Fragmentation patterns tend to be more circular, which can be either a disadvantage or an advantage depending on circumstances.

They can be towed by light vehicles.

120 mm mortars offer the UK a significant capability uplift at low risk.

120 mm mortars have a tangible commonality and market benefit.

It is difficult to argue against them.

Despite the many advantages, 120 mm mortars do have downsides.

Compare the generally accepted maximum range of 10 km for 120 mm mortars to the 17-20 km range for 105 mm guns.

The area of influence for a 105 mm gun is three times larger.

Can we ignore this, especially for light role forces that do not generally have higher echelon support fires?

This is not a theoretical question.

It is critical if opposing forces have 122 mm artillery.

Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. The 10th Mountain Division (Combined Joint Task Force Mountain) deployed without M119 105 mm guns and used 120 mm mortars instead.

The mortars only managed to fire 16 rounds before they were challenged by 122 mm D30 guns and 107 mm rockets fired by the Taleban.

Not only were they outgunned, but they were also outranged as well.

Dieses Problem könnte aber durch neue Mörsermunition gelöst werden, die wesentlich größere Reichweiten ermöglicht, indem die Granaten als Mini-Gleiter agieren und damit de facto zu einer Loitering Munition werden. Nur: die gleiche Technologie kann man natürlich auch für 105mm Granaten etc anwenden.

Loitering Munitions:

Loitering munitions have many attractions

In some cases, might replace the need for some artillery

But across the broad span, don’t seem to be a replacement for guns.

The problem with precision weapons is you need precision targeting systems and people with eyes on the target

They are vulnerable to adverse weather and enemy air defences

More complicated to operate and expensive for many target sets. They are not discounted completely but viewed as a complementary capability to guns.

Vor allem die Kosten stellen ein Problem dar. Das ist einfach keine Lösung für Massenziele, sondern für spezifische Hochwertziele.

Und was ich bis zu diesem Artikel auch noch nicht wusste, es gibt jetzt eine 155mm Version des Hawkeye Systems von dem ich schon in der 105mm Variante sehr viel gehalten habe:

https://www.mandusgroup.com/brutus/

https://www.amgeneral.com/what-we-do/pla...155mm-mhs/

Genau genommen keine gezogene Artilerie, aber trotzdem ein hochinteressantes System mit welchem man immense Mengen an ultraleichten 155mm Haubitzen ins Feld führen könnte, im Vergleich zu konventionellen Panzerhaubitzen gleichen Kalibers. Der Vorteil läge vor allem in den Möglichkeiten was Streumunition angeht, wofür die 155mm besonders geeignet ist.

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/5622982/b...-strike-19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f-m8HxHHwk

Das könnte man natürlich auch getrennt von einem Fahrzeug als gezogene Artillerie beschaffen und es wäre dann nochmal deutlich leichter als eine M777.