As part of the special edition on Field Artillery in Latin America, InfoDefensa describes in this article the systems available to the main Armed Forces in the region.
ARGENTINA
The artillery in the Argentine Army is organized according to the levels to which it must provide fire support, either at Army Division or Brigade level, with the Artillery Groups (AG).
These AGs are specialized in particular geographical environments, such as mountains and bush.
There are also armored AGs, those capable of being airborne, anti-aircraft artillery AGs and other AGs that provide flexibility to enhance fire support.
The Argentine artillery is composed of 155mm Citer systems, a locally manufactured eight-ton bifurcated towed cannon; 105mm Oto Melara howitzers; the 155mm Palmira self-propelled piece, belonging to the TAM family; the CP-30 rocket launcher, entirely produced in Argentina; and the 35mm Oerlikon GDF twin-tube piece.
Brazil
The mission of the Brazilian Army Artillery Groups is to support troops with fire, destroying or neutralizing targets that threaten the success of an operation.
The Field Artillery or Light Field Artillery Groups are equipped with artillery pieces such as howitzers, shells, and mortars.
Self-propelled Artillery Groups are equipped with artillery pieces such as vehicle-mounted shells, howitzers, and mortars, thus having a high mobile capability.
The Missile and Rocket Groups are equipped with rocket launchers and missiles of the Astros system.
Brazil has M101, M114, Oto Melara M56, and M118 howitzers; Gepard 1A 2 and M109 A5 BR Plus self-propelled howitzers; and the locally developed Astros rocket launcher system.
CHILE
The artillery units of the Chilean Army currently have tract, self-propelled and rocket material of US, Italian, and Israeli origin capable of operating in different scenarios, providing technical and fire support to the rest of the weapons and facilitating the maneuver of the ground force.
According to the Army 2026 Strategic Development Plan, the artillery units have been reorganized in their organizational structure to achieve better capabilities, both in personnel and material, to increase the number of military functions and a greater power of deterrence according to the scenarios of use foreseen in the medium and long term.
Chile has 155 mm M109 self-propelled howitzers; the first batch was acquired from Switzerland in 2004, and another from the United States in 2009.
In addition, the Chilean Army has in its inventory tract self-propelled howitzers Soltam (today Elbit Systems) M-71 155/39 mm caliber, 105 mm NA M-101/33, and 105 mm Oto Melara (Leonardo) M-56/14 mountain howitzers.
COLOMBIA
The artillery units of the Colombian National Army are of mixed type, having 155 and 105 mm howitzers, 120 mm mortars, long-range anti-tank missile launchers, and 106 mm M-40 A1 recoilless guns, the last two mounted on Automotive Industries Limited AbirM-462 vehicles.
The pieces and means currently serving in the Colombian artillery are deployed in the Artillery Battalions Nº 1 Tarqui, Nº 2 La Popa, Nº 3 Batalla de Palace, Nº 4 Coronel J.E. Sánchez, Nº 5 Capitán J.A. Galan, Nº 8 San Mateo, Nº 9 Tenerife, Nº 10 Santa Barbará, Nº 13 General F.L. Reyes, Nº 18 General José María Mantilla and in the ESART.
Colombia has the Joya SAA-1 self-propelled artillery system, which consists of a Nexter LG-1 MK-III 105×30 mm howitzer mounted on a BMY M923-A2 6×6 type truck; Gdels 155/52 APU-SBT howitzers; LG1 MK-III 105×30 mm howitzers; BAE Systems L-119 howitzers; R. IA M-101A1 howitzer; Baman-Dynacomp-Indumil Condor SLT 70/12-II rocket launching systems; 120 mm HY-12 mortars; and Thales AM-50 mortars.
VENEZUELA
The Field Artillery of the Venezuelan Army comprises a brigade, 16 groups, and four independent companies, the latter of 120 mm mortars.
Regarding the groups, they are: nine groups of Field Artillery (GAC), seven equipped with 105 mm towed howitzers, and two of 155 mm; four groups of Self-propelled Field Artillery (GACA/P), two with 152 mm self-propelled howitzers, one with 155 mm self-propelled howitzers, and, one mixed, with 152 mm self-propelled howitzers, 122 mm rocket launchers and 120 mm self-propelled howitzers/mortars; as well as three multiple rocket launcher artillery groups (GALCM), two with 122 mm rocket launchers and one with 300 mm rocket launchers.
Venezuela has self-propelled howitzers Nexter AMX-13 Mle. F.3 155/33 mm self-propelled howitzers, 2S19M1 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers, 155/33 mm M114A1 howitzers, 105/22 mm M101A1 howitzers, 105 mm M-56 howitzers, 120 mm 2s23 Nona-SVK self-propelled mortars, 120 mm 2S12 Sani mortars, 120 mm MO-120-RT-61 mortar, 300 mm BM-30 Smerch rocket launchers, 122 mm BM-21 Grad rocket launchers.
PERU
The towed artillery of the Peruvian Army consists of 122 mm D-30 howitzers, 155 mm Sofma M-51 pieces, 155 mm M114A1 howitzers; 105 mm Yugoimport M-56 howitzers; 105 mm M101/M2A1 howitzers and 105 mm Oto Melara M-56 howitzers.
As for self-propelled artillery, the Army aligns 155 mm M109 howitzers, acquired in the 1970s; AMX-13 tank destroyers, modified to the Escorpion anti-tank platform; 122 mm Norinco 90B multiple rocket launchers, 107 mm Denel RO-107 multiple rocket launchers; 122 mm 9K132 Grad-1P monotube rocket launchers and BM-21 multiple rocket launchers.
ECUADOR
The Ecuadorian Army deploys its different artillery means, through its Artillery Brigade No. 27 Portete, as well as in Artillery Groups No. 5 Atahualpa, No. 7 Cabo Minacho, No. 13 Mariscal Sucre, No. 21 Bolivar; in addition to Self-propelled Artillery Groups No. 11 Teniente Rodriguez and No. 79 General Pintag; in its Artillery Group No. 21 Tiwintza Launchers; and in its Artillery Group No. 80 Calderon Multiple Launchers.
Ecuador has 155 mm M-198 howitzers, 155 mm AMX MK-1 F3 self-propelled howitzers, 105 mm M-101 A1/M2A1 howitzers, 105 mm Oto Melara M-56 howitzers, 122.4 mm BM-21 Grad rocket launchers, and RM-70 Vampire rocket launchers.
URUGUAY
The current distribution of the artillery in the Uruguayan Army consists of five groups, one per Army Division plus one that is part of the Army Reserve and a single anti-aircraft artillery group.
The groups have different materials, being the M101A1 howitzer the most numerous; then there are 105mm M102 howitzers; 155mm M144A2 howitzers, received from South Korea in 1981; 122mm RM-70 multiple rocket launchers; 2S1 self-propelled howitzers, which operate together with MT-LB armored vehicles received from the Czech Republic in 1998, and the early reception of M-108 self-propelled howitzers donated by Brazil is expected.
MEXICO
Artillery in the Mexican Armed Forces is always ready to respond, even though it is a tool very typical of war scenarios.
The use of artillery as a campaign weapon in the war against drug trafficking is practically non-existent: given that it is fought in urban areas, ranches, highways, and, occasionally, in large cities, the clash between the military and drug traffickers has not required the deployment and operation of high caliber howitzers.
Mexico manufactures a type of 120mm heavy mortar and has in its arsenals other smaller caliber mortars, such as the 101.6 mm US M1 or the 105 mm M40A1, also US.
On the other hand, it also maintains, as part of the towed artillery, the 105 mm American M101 Howitzer howitzer, as well as the Italian Oto Melara M-56 howitzer, also of 105 mm, and the Chinese M90 howitzer, also of 105 mm.
In self-propelled artillery, Mexico operates the nationally manufactured 77 mm DN-V Búfalo.
With information from InfoDefensa
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