Troop Artillery

Troop Artillery 

(called field artillery in foreign armies), artillery that is organizationally part of combined arms units of various sizes, such as motorized rifle, infantry, motorized infantry, and tank units. Troop (field) artillery comprises battalion, regimental, and divisional artillery. In foreign armies field artillery also includes corps (army) units and subunits.

Battalion artillery is composed of subunits armed with small-caliber guns, antitank guided missiles, and other types of guns and mortars and is used in warfare against enemy tanks, fire weapons, and personnel. In the offensive, troop artillery is used for direct support of subunits by firing and maneuvering.

Regimental artillery is usually composed of subunits of regimental (field) guns, antitank guns, and other types of guns and mortars of heavier calibers than those used in battalion artillery. It is used to reinforce battalions that are active along the main operational axis and perform essentially the same missions as battalion artillery.

Divisional artillery in most armies constitutes the bulk of all troop artillery. Field artillery is usually composed of units and subunits of gun, howitzer, antitank, rocket, and antiair-craft artillery of various calibers. It is used to fight enemy nuclear and radar installations, tanks, artillery, fire weapons, and personnel.

Corps artillery in foreign armies is armed with long-range guns, mortars, howitzers, antitank guns, and field rocket launchers. It is used to reinforce division artillery and to perform specific fire missions, such as fighting nuclear and radar installations at great distances and disrupting the control of troops.

Army artillery is essentially analogous to corps artillery in composition and function.

V. K. TRUSOV