In this article, we look at artillery strength by country, and list down 20 militaries that have the biggest and advanced arsenal of these weapons. You can skip our detailed analysis on the subject and head over directly to Artillery Strength by Country: Top 5 Militaries.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent shockwaves across Europe. With war returning to the continent after decades of peace, several countries in the region are aggressively racking up their defense to enhance national security. Global defense expenditure reached a record-high of $2.2 trillion in 2022, with Europe seeing its steepest rise in 30 years having incurred $480 billion on military spending that year.
According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), there has been a 94% increase in arms imported by Europe between 2019-2023, compared to 2014-2018, with 55% of the equipment imported in the last five years coming from the United States. The surge in military spending has created a boom in the global defense industry, where output is being increased at a rapid rate to meet growing demand for weapons.
General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) has increased its production of artillery from 14,000 to 20,000 rounds per month. The company has benefited from the military assistance offered by the United States for Ukraine, which has included the 155 millimeter artillery replacements that have been pivotal to Kyiv’s fightback against Russian advancements. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) generated $42.3 billion in revenues in 2023 – its highest ever, with a 7.7% year-over-year growth.
Phebe Novakovic, the CEO of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) shared the following remarks in the company’s Q4 2023 Earnings Call:
The majority of the growth in the quarter was at ordnance and tactical systems and European land systems. It was largely driven by higher artillery and propellant volume, including programs to expand production volume, higher volume of piranhas, bridges and eagles in Europe, and new international tank programs.
On the other hand, the production of artillery shells has also soared in Russia, having increased nearly 2.5 times in 2023 compared to the preceding year, as Moscow looks to arm itself faster than the west replenishes Ukraine. According to a report, the Russians are producing thrice the amount of artillery munition as all of Europe and the United States combined.
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) also stated in February this year that it was on track to increase its output of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in 2024 to 96 per year, from the current production level of 60. The United States has so far donated 39 HIMARS to Ukraine since 2022, which are now one of the country’s finest weapons being used to push back Russia. After two years of trying, in March this year, the Russians were finally able to destroy one HIMARS in operation of Kyiv.
Seeing the success of HIMARS in Ukraine, several European countries are also looking to buy the rocket artillery system, or develop their own. According to a report, Germany’s Rheinmetall has partnered with Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) to build GMARS, which would be similar to but larger than HIMARS. Last year in February, Washington approved the sale of HIMARS, ATACMS, and other ammunition worth $10 billion to Poland. Lithuania is also purchasing eight M142 HIMARS from Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) for $495 million, as part of an agreement reached in late 2022.
Artillery Strength by Country: Top 20 Militaries
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Methodology
Artillery strength by country has been determined by considering the total number of artillery units operated by countries, which comprise self-propelled artillery, towed artillery, and rocket projectors. We also factored in technological capabilities of countries to even out countries that have fewer, more advanced artillery and those with large but outdated inventories. Total artillery units were weighed at 80%, while technological capabilities at 20%.
Only countries that have more than 500 artillery units were considered for this list. We observed where each country that met the criteria ranked compared to others and assigned them a score. For instance, if a country ranked second out of 36, it received a score of 0.97 for the total artillery units metric (35/36). For technological capabilities, 132 countries are ranked in the Global Innovation Index. Here, countries' global ranks were divided by 132 to determine their scores for this metric. Finally, scores for both metrics were averaged to get an average score. The top 20 countries by artillery strength are listed in ascending order of their average scores.
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Let’s now head over and take a look at artillery strength by country.
20 Countries with the Most Artillery:
20. Morocco
Total artillery units: 1,079
Technological Capabilities Rank: 70
Score: 0.393
We begin our list with Morocco, whose artillery arsenal comprises 565 self-propelled artillery, 306 towed artillery, and 208 rocket projectors. In April last year, the US State Department approved the potential sale of HIMARS artillery rocket systems for $524 million.
19. North Korea
Total artillery units: 11,920
Technological Capabilities Rank: N/A
Score: 0.397
North Korea has the second largest arsenal of artillery systems in the world, with nearly 12,000 units, of which about 9,000 are towed and self-propelled artillery pieces, with another 2,920 being rocket projectors. However, most of its equipment is old and outdated. Despite that, the country is not be taken lightly when it comes to artillery strength. Earlier this month, in response to the 11-day joint military drills held between South Korea and the United States, Pyongyang in a show of power displayed thousands of its long-range artillery systems which are capable of striking its neighbor and causing thousands of casualties, according to military experts.
18. Poland
Total artillery units: 736
Technological Capabilities Rank: 41
Score: 0.398
Poland has the highest share of defense spending as part of GDP among NATO members, having spent 3.9% in 2023 on military spending during the year. The Polish government has vowed to become the strongest military in Europe and has plans to recruit 150,000 new soldiers in the next 10 years. According to a report in Euronews, Warsaw has purchased around 600 artillery units and over a thousand tanks in the last few years. In December 2023, Poland signed a $2.6 billion deal with South Korea for 150 K9 howitzers.
17. Romania
Total artillery units: 945
Technological Capabilities Rank: 47
Score: 0.407
Next on our list is Romania, with 945 artillery pieces, which comprise of 720 towed artillery units and 225 rocket projectors. According to reports in the local press, Bucharest plans to spend 850 million euros to procure 54 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers and 18,000 artillery rounds, among other related from South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace, which won the tender in February this year.
16. Japan
Total artillery units: 707
Technological Capabilities Rank: 13
Score: 0.414
Japan boasts one of the strongest militaries in the world. The country ranks high on technological capabilities as well. Its artillery count includes 173 self-propelled artillery units, 480 towed artillery pieces, along with 54 M270 multiple launch rocket systems. Japan is also a major supplier of artillery shells to Ukraine to aid the country in defending itself against Russian advances.
15. Vietnam
Total artillery units: 1,330
Technological Capabilities Rank: 46
Score: 0.419
Next on our list of artillery strength by country is Vietnam, with a majority of its units being of Soviet origin. The country has a large arsenal of 450 rocket projectors, according to Global Firepower Index, of which about 350 comprise the BM-21 Grad self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher built by the Soviet Union.
14. Egypt
Total artillery units: 4,165
Technological Capabilities Rank: 86
Score: 0.422
Egypt has the most powerful military in Africa, with artillery power being one of its key strengths. The country has been looking to upgrade its aging fleet of artillery systems, and in 2022 entered into a $1.7 billion contract with South Korea, which included the development of hundreds of K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPH) at a state-run factory outside Cairo.
13. Pakistan
Total artillery units: 4,592
Technological Capabilities Rank: 88
Score: 0.423
Pakistan boasts one of the strongest ground forces in the world. The country has over 4,500 artillery units, comprising 3,238 towed artillery, 752 self-propelled artillery, and 602 rocket projectors. In recent years, Pakistan has test fired two indigenously-made rocket systems, Fatah 1 and Fatah 2, and also operates about 450 Chinese A-100 MLRS. The M109 is the primary self-propelled artillery unit used by the Pakistan Army. It was procured from the United States. The country’s towed artillery is a mixture of American, Chinese, Turkish and Italian equipment.
12. Greece
Total artillery units: 1,470
Technological Capabilities Rank: 42
Score: 0.425
Greece’s artillery units comprise 152 rocket artillery systems, 589 self-propelled artillery, and 729 towed artillery. Some of the notable artillery weapons operated by the Hellenic army include the M270 MLRS and RM-70 rocket launchers, and hundreds of M109 howitzers.
11. Ukraine
Total artillery units: 2,708
Technological Capabilities Rank: 55
Score: 0.426
Ukraine has over 2,700 artillery pieces, inclusive of rocket systems, according to the Global Firepower Index. Artillery has become one of Kyiv’s most deadly and prolific weapons against invading Russian forces, which include at least 14 different versions of howitzers. Ukraine has US M777, French TRF1, British-German-Italian FH-70, and British AS-90 in its arsenal of towed 155 mm howitzers, while its self-propelled 155 mm howitzers include M109 sent by the US and Germany's PzH 2000, among others.
10. Iran
Total artillery units: 3,405
Technological Capabilities Rank: 62
Score: 0.429
Despite economic and military sanctions for the past several decades, Iran boasts one of the most potent ground forces in the world, a key strength of which is its large size of artillery arsenal, comprising over 2,000 towed artillery, followed by 580 self-propelled artillery pieces, and 775 rocket projectors.
9. Finland
Total artillery units: 868
Technological Capabilities Rank: 6
Score: 0.433
Finland’s artillery is among the finest in Western Europe, with more than 700 howitzer units and cannons, along with several hundreds of mortars and 76 rocket projectors. It is also the sixth most technologically advanced country in the world, and a close ally of the United States, which ensures the country’s military hardware stays up-to-date with frequent upgrades and replacements.
8. Israel
Total artillery units: 1,100
Technological Capabilities Rank: 14
Score: 0.438
Israel has 1,100 artillery units, with the M109 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer being the most predominantly used artillery in its arsenal. Other artillery used by the Israeli Defense Force include Soltam M-71, Soltam M-68, Soltam M-65, M270, and Cardom SP, among others. Israel is the most technologically advanced country in the Middle East.
7. Turkiye
Total artillery units: 3,071
Technological Capabilities Rank: 39
Score: 0.441
Turkiye has one of the most powerful militaries in the world. It also has a large number of artillery units, comprising 1,747 towed artillery and 1,038 self-propelled pieces, along with 286 rocket projectors. The country has a thriving defense industry at home, which is helping Ankara become self-sufficient in arms procurement, and also in exporting armaments to other countries. According to a report in Bloomberg, Turkiye is on track to become the largest seller of artillery shells to the US as Washington seeks to replenish Ukraine.
6. Saudi Arabia
Total artillery units: 3,743
Technological Capabilities Rank: 48
Score: 0.445
Saudi Arabia has been actively racking up its defenses, and spent a whopping $75 billion in military spending in 2022 – the fifth highest in the world during the year. It boasts a sizable artillery arsenal, which was strengthened in 2018 with the United States selling 180 M109A5/A6 medium self-propelled howitzers to the kingdom for $1.3 billion.
