Modern artillery is a formidable weapon used by all branches of the armed forces of all world powers. On the battlefield, she has no equal. It's not for nothing that artillery is called the "God of War".
Artillery - "God of War"
The branch of the army, which is proudly called the "God of War", is artillery! Despite the fact that in recent decades there has been a dynamic development of missile weapons, the role of high-precision barrel systems is great and does not lose its position. The first mentions of the use of cannon artillery date back to 1324. It cannot be ruled out that barrel artillery may have been used earlier this year, but the papers found in the archives indicate precisely this period. For a long time it was believed that the "father" of guns was the German Schwartz. Therefore, until some time, the Germans were given the palm in the invention of the first artillery pieces. But numerous references to artillery pieces were found in the ancient manuscripts of the British, and not in the German primary sources.
And in the treatise of 1326, which was written to glorify Edward III, you can find sketches of a cannon, similar to a large vase. An arrow flies out of its neck, and next to it is an English knight holding a red-hot rod in his hand to ignite gunpowder. The treatise was written by the teacher of King Edward III. But, if we go further and understand, then with the invention of gunpowder in China, and medieval alchemists opened gunpowder three times, the first artillery pieces could already appear. Therefore, it can be assumed that artillery is of more ancient origin than is officially considered. Ancient artillery pieces have often changed history, turning the tide of war in favor of a particular state participating in the battle. And even if they were imperfect, but for that time it was still a formidable weapon. Giant cannons and feathers, falconets and minions, robinets, mortars and bombards - and this is not a complete list of the entire artillery gun, but only a small part of it that has survived to this day. They have become truly historical artifacts of past wars.
Formidable weapon - cannon
These modern artillery pieces no longer have anything in common with their medieval predecessors - clumsy, heavy, with very low accuracy and a high risk of barrel rupture. The caliber of the latest installations reaches 155 mm, and the range of shells and their targeting accuracy is amazing. Russian Sprut-Bs have a 125 mm projectile caliber with a firing range of more than 12 thousand meters. A Chinese gun with a 155 mm projectile caliber hits a target at a distance of up to 40 thousand meters. It is practically analogous to the GHN-45 and GC 45 guns produced in Belgium.
The British fired a cannon with a projectile caliber of 140 mm and a firing range of up to 16 thousand meters. And later this type of weapon was removed from service. Israel has created the Zoltam M-68 / M-71 cannon with a 155 mm projectile caliber and a firing range of up to 21 kilometers. South Africa released a powerful artillery gun G5, the projectile caliber of which is 155 mm, and the firing range is up to 30 kilometers. It is impossible not to mention the cannon released in the Soviet Union. This is the Rapier anti-tank artillery gun, which is still in service with the Russian army. This gun has a projectile caliber of 100 mm, and a firing range of three kilometers.
Modern salvo systems
Today the leader of artillery pieces is the Russian Tornado gun. The caliber of the projectile is 122 mm, they shoot at a distance of up to 100 thousand meters. Fires up to 40 charges in one volley. The area covers up to eighty four thousand square meters. High chassis reliability. The speed of movement of the Russian gun is 60 kilometers per hour. Covers distances of 650 kilometers. All these characteristics of the gun make it possible to move it to the right place in a fairly short period of time.
On the second place of honor in terms of their effectiveness are the Russian MLRS 9K51 "Grad". Has 40 barrels. The caliber of the projectile is 122 mm. The firing range of the gun is up to twenty one thousand meters. For one salvo it "covers" up to 40 thousand square meters of area. The speed of the "Grad" is up to 85 kilometers per hour. At maximum speed, the installation covers a distance of one and a half thousand kilometers.
The third position by right, due to its technical characteristics, was taken by the HIMARS artillery gun, produced by American specialists. The caliber of the 227 mm projectile is literally impressive. But only six projectile guides spoil this impression. The firing range is up to 85 thousand meters. One salvo of this US-made weapon covers an area of 67,000 square meters. The gun develops a speed of up to 85 kilometers per hour. "HIMARS" can cover a distance of 600 kilometers. This artillery piece has proven itself very well in ground operations conducted by the American government in Afghanistan.
The WS-1B gun, which was produced in the Celestial Empire, did not enter the top three and took only the fourth position. The caliber of this 320 mm gun is intimidating. Has four barrels. The firing range is up to 100 thousand meters. The affected area is up to 45 thousand square meters. The power reserve at a maximum speed of up to 85 kilometers per hour is 600 kilometers.
Fifth place went to the Indian installation of MLRS "Pinaka". The caliber of the projectile is 122 mm, there are twelve guides. The firing range of the gun is up to 40 thousand meters. The maximum travel speed develops up to 85 kilometers per hour. And the affected area is up to 130 thousand square meters. This weapon was developed jointly with specialists from Russia. Excellent proven itself on the battlefield in the Indian - Pakistani conflicts.
Mortar - a descendant of ancient mortars and bombards
Ancient bombards and mortars for their time were a very formidable weapon. Bombs weighing up to hundreds of kilograms flew at a distance of up to three hundred meters and hit the enemy. But the tactics of battle have changed, and something more is required from modern artillery pieces. Today's mortars have a range of up to one kilometer using a very high scope. This mortar is used as a mounted artillery weapon. Its particular effectiveness is noted in the conditions of the city for the destruction of local or scattered enemy groups. In the Russian army, mortars are in service and are standard weapons. Today, all artillery equipment is developing in the main direction for itself, namely, the high accuracy of targeting shells. Recently, the well-known arms corporation BAE Systems presented to the public high-precision mortars with a projectile caliber of 81 mm. The mortars have been tested at British proving grounds and have proven themselves to be excellent.
Domestic mortars "Nona" are a special pride. This weapon, using the Kitolov-2 projectile, can hit a modern tank at a distance of up to 9 kilometers. Impressive is the new American model of the XM395 mortar, which has a firing range of more than 6 kilometers, while the deviation from the target is no more than 10 meters. This is a very good result! The mortar was used in Iraq and Afghanistan and proved to be the best. Promising today are the development of guided missiles with homing at the target.
