Artillery

Artillery refers to a group of ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the reach of infantry firearms.

These systems are designed to deliver power and projectiles over long distances. In modern military terms, artillery can refer to the weapons themselves or the specific branch of service that operates them. The term often covers shell-firing guns, howitzers, and mortars, which are sometimes called barrel artillery. It also includes rocket artillery systems. While people often use the word "artillery" to describe a single device, the correct term for the whole collection of parts is "equipment."

The mechanics of artillery involve delivering a projectile, known as a shot or a shell, toward a target. A "shot" is typically a solid object, while a "shell" is not solid. Historically, soldiers used various types of solid shot, including canister, chain shot, and grapeshot. The process of delivering this fire is called gunnery. When a crew operates a piece of equipment, they are "serving the gun." This can be done through direct fire or indirect fire. Indirect fire allows the weapon to hit targets that the crew cannot see directly.

Artillery can be categorized by how it is moved and used on the battlefield. Towed guns are pulled by vehicles to attack or defend specific lines. Self-propelled guns are mounted on vehicles so they can move alongside a mobile force. These provide continuous fire support and suppression for moving troops. Other types include coastal artillery for protecting shores and anti-aircraft artillery for hitting targets in the sky. In the modern era, many naval guns have been replaced by missiles in surface warfare. Even larger systems, like railway guns, were once used to move massive weapons along tracks.

The history of artillery began with mechanical engines of war used in antiquity. The first known catapult was developed in Syracuse in 399 BC.

Before gunpowder, these machines relied on mechanical energy to function. This limited how much power they could produce. For example, a Roman catapult from the 1st century BC had a kinetic energy of 16 kilojoules. In contrast, a 12-pounder gun from the mid-19th century reached 240 kilojoules. By the 20th century, a US battleship could fire projectiles with energy exceeding 350 megajoules.

Gunpowder changed the nature of warfare by introducing chemical energy. Early Chinese artillery often had vase-like shapes, such as the "long-range awe-inspiring cannon" from 1350.

As metallurgy improved, cannons moved away from these shapes toward more efficient designs. These weapons spread to the Middle East and Europe by the 13th century. During the Middle Ages, the counterweight trebuchet became a powerful tool for sieges. This was a major advancement over older traction trebuchets that relied on human manpower. These developments allowed armies to breach defensive walls and fortifications more effectively.

Artillery plays a massive role in the scale of human conflict. It was responsible for the majority of combat deaths during the Napoleonic Wars, World War I, and World War II. Because of this immense power, Joseph Stalin called artillery "the god of war" in a 1944 speech. Today, artillery provides the largest share of an army's total firepower. Modern systems can operate at ranges from 100 meters to the intercontinental distances used by ballistic missiles.

This versatility makes it a central part of modern military doctrine.

Operating these weapons requires highly organized teams called crews or detachments. Several crews are combined into a larger unit called a battery, which is similar to an infantry company. These batteries are then grouped into battalions, regiments, or brigades. Within a detachment, roles are strictly numbered, starting with the Detachment Commander at number one. The highest number is the Coverer, who serves as the second-in-command. In some armies, junior non-commissioned officers are called Bombardiers. This structure ensures that complex tasks like target acquisition and fire direction are handled efficiently.

Modern technology has added new layers of complexity to artillery operations. In the 20th century, specialists began using radar and sound ranging to find enemy positions. This is known as target acquisition. The shift to indirect fire also required experts in survey and meteorology to provide accurate data. Today, observers can use crewed or uncrewed aircraft to direct fire onto specific map coordinates. This connection between advanced engineering, mathematics, and field operations shows how artillery has evolved from simple mechanical engines into highly sophisticated technological systems.