Light Guns Keep Heads Down

The strength of light artillery lies in its responsiveness and reliability in support of ground forces. Its firepower can make the difference between winning or losing in an engagement.

- Stephen W. Miller

“ In defence light artillery excels at disrupting attacks and preventing rapid reinforcement. In attack, it can keep the enemy under cover and preventing them from effectively engaging the attackers.

The availability of indirect fires is particularly critical to light forces. Light infantry, airborne, and helicopter inserted forces have limited organic firepower making them especially reliant on outside support to neutralise threats.

Much attention is currently being given to extended range and deep strike missions that are the purview of heavy artillery systems. Yet, for the individual soldier, those supporting fires that are rapidly available and delivered directly in his battle space remain vital. The availability of these often falls to either mortars that are part of the ground unit or light artillery which are assigned to provide direct support responding to the calls for fire of units in contact.

Mortars

According to the US Army manual: “Mortars allow the manoeuvre commander to quickly place killing indirect fires on the enemy, independent of whether he has been allocated supporting artillery.” Unlike tube artillery and air support mortars are directly responsive to the ground manoeuvre commander. The rapid, high-angle, plunging fires they offer are invaluable against dugin enemy troops and targets in defilade. These attributes also allow mortars to place its rounds close to friendly troops. This makes it ideally suited in the final defence where the enemy assault is trying to overrun ones positions. It is often referred to as a “Commander’s hip-pocket artillery”.