Towed Artillery and its Future

Several defence news outlets have reported with some fanfare that the future of towed artillery looks bleak. Simply put, because of faster kill chains, better ISR, precision ammunition, and the shift towards preparing for near-peer competition, the mobility of artillery assets has gained a premium status in the minds of military planners. When one examines the Defence iQ Market report, one notices that most programmes are for Self-Propelled Howitzers. The calls that towed artillery heads for extinction are misleading, as they still fulfil a niche role due to some advantages over SPHs. This opinion piece briefly explores why this is.