L118 Light Gun

Towed 105 mm howitzer designed for rapid air portability and airborne and commando artillery units, first proven in combat during the 1982 Falklands War. Widely exported and later supplied to Ukraine, it remains in front-line British Army service.

In service since 1976 · 15 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

105

mm gun

1,858

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

UK export-licensed

Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.

Channel: Government-to-government or direct

Fielded & proven

Widely fielded · 15 operators

In service since 1976. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

105 mm NATO

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Rate of fire Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.: 6 rpm

Stronger than 53% of artillery systems

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 105 mm L118 howitzer
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 105 mm
Max firing range Maximum range of the main gun or rocket artillery (with assisted/extended-range munitions where noted). Higher extends reach.: 17.2 km

Bottom 6% of artillery systems

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 1,858 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 6

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 15

Stronger than 88% of artillery systems

Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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