Artillery is one of the most valued arms of the Pakistan Army and a lot of scarce resources have been invested in it. Over the years, PA has relied on its artillery extensively during regular wars with India as well as for shelling of civilians in India, Afghanistan and even in Pakistan when they are fighting against some other Islamist terrorists they don’t agree with .
Pakistan Artillery Corps flag | Pakistan Artillery Corps badge |
The artillery regiments are classified as per following. The numbers of regiments mentioned are speculative and subject to change:
- Heavy : 203 mm (Self-propelled and towed). 6-8 regiments
- Medium: 130 mm, 155 mm (Self-propelled and towed). 38 regiments.
- Field: 122 mm, 105 mm (Towed). 76 regiments.
- Mountain: 105 mm (Towed). 4 regiments.
- MBRL: 122 mm, 300 mm (Self-propelled)
- Meteorological and Locating Regiments
There are two artillery divisions 2nd (Gujranwala) and 21st (Pano Aqil), each comprising 3 brigades. Each artillery brigade usually has 3 regiments with each gun regiment having 18 guns. MBRL regiments have 12 launchers. Additionally each Corps has one independent artillery brigade. These are usually armed with MBRLs and sometimes towed guns.
The artillery divisions are assigned to Corps HQs and the HQ can assign whole divisions or its subordinate units to different sectors. There are two known independent artillery brigades. Additionally, some regiments have different composition than others.
- Field artillery regiments (four^) under FCNA have 12 105 mm guns instead of 18.
- Artillery regiments with armoured divisions usually have 2 Heavy Regiments of 8 M110 203 mm SPH + 4 M59 155 mm and one regiment of 18 Type-59 130 mm.
- Certain mechanised armoured divisions (4 in numbers^) each have 1 artillery brigade with 3 regiments each. Each such regiment is a SP Medium with 12 M109 155 mm SPH
- Artillery brigades with Infantry divisions have 4 field artillery regiments with 18 122 mm towed guns.
- Independent armoured brigades (5 in numbers^) have one regiment each of 12 M109 155 mm SPH.
- The 2 armoured divisions have 1 artillery brigade. Each such brigade has 1 Medium regiment of 8 M109 155mm SPH + 4 M110 203mm and 2 Medium regiments with 12 M109 155mm SPH.
2nd Artillery Div insignia. 151 Med Reg, 130 mm | 21st Artillery Division insignia. 30 SP Reg. M110A2 |
A Pakistani artillery division will have following structure:
- First artillery brigade :
- 1x Heavy Regiment (203mm towed)
- 2x Medium Regiment (155/130mm towed)
- 1x Field Regiment (122/105mm towed).
- Second artillery brigade
- 3x Medium Regiment (155/130mm towed)
- 1x Field Regiment (122/105mm towed)
- Third artillery brigade
- 2x SP Heavy Regiment (203mm SP)
- 1x SP Medium Regiment (155mm SP)
- 1x Medium Regiment (155/130mm towed)
- Divisional artillery units under command of Divisional HQ:
- 1x 300 mm MBRL regiment
- 1x 122 mm MBRL regiment
- 1x Locating Regiment
- 1x Meteorological & Survey Battery (with each Brigade & Divisional HQs)
- Signals, Supply & Transport, EME, Ordnance and other support units
Table below provides a general idea of the number of artillery guns in the Pakistani army. It is quite possible that some of these guns would have been taken out of service due to issues such as breakdowns, end of life and battle damages sustained during border skirmishes with India and Afghanistan. Different sources have wildly varying figures and it is hard to get a fairly accurate number just from open sources.
CALIBRE | NAME | TYPE | NUMBERS | NOTE |
203 mm | M115 | Towed | 28 | |
203 mm | M110 | SP Tracked | 40-60 M110/M110A2 | |
155 mm | SH-15 | SP Wheeled | 236 ordered | 3 regiments raised in Mar 2022 |
155 mm | M-109 | SP Tracked | 152-200 M109A2, 115 M109A5, 123 M109L | |
155 mm | M-198 | Towed | 148 | |
155 mm | M-114 | Towed | 144 | |
130 mm | Type 59-1 | Towed | 410 | Chinese copy of M46 |
122 mm | Type-54-1 | Towed | 490-570 | Chinese copy of D30 |
105 mm | M101 | Towed | 216 | |
105 mm | M-56 | Towed | 113 | |
88 mm | 25 pounder | Towed | Seemingly retired. | |
122 mm | KRL-122 | MBRL | 80-100 | Romanian copy of BM-21 Grad |
300 mm | A-100 | MBRL | 36 | Chinese copy of Smerch |
M198 155mm (51 Med Artillery) |
M110A2 203mm SPH (35 SP Regiment) |
M109A2 155mm SPH (10 Med Regiment) |
A-100, 2nd MLRS Reg, 2nd Art Div |
The table below lists some of the known Pakistani artillery regiments and other units. The locations are from time period of 2019 to 2022 and may have changed since then.
UNIT | LOCATION | PARENT UNIT | WEAPONS | LAT | LONG |
Army Artillery Center | Attock Cantt | 33°46’37.69″N | 72°22’39.30″E | ||
3 Medium Artillery Regiment | |||||
8 Medium Artillery Regiment | Lahore, Punjab | 11 Inf Div | 130 mm | 31°30’58.24″N | 74°21’55.92″E |
9 Medium Artillery Regiment | Bagh, PoK^ | 33°59’40.47″N | 73°46’38.45″E | ||
10 Medium Artillery Regiment | Multan | 6 Armd Div | M109A2 155mm SP | ||
11 Medium Artillery Regiment | I Corps (I) | M198 155mm | |||
11 Medium Artillery Regiment ^ | |||||
13 SP regiment | SH-15?? | ||||
15 SP Medium Artillery Regiment | M109A 155mm SP | ||||
16 SP Medium Artillery Regiment | M109A2 155mm SP | ||||
17 Locating Regiment Artillery | Malir Cantt | ||||
21 Medium Regiment^ | |||||
23 Regiment | |||||
24 SP Medium Artillery Regiment | M109A2 155mm SP | ||||
26 Field Regiment Artillery | Type-54 122mm | ||||
29 Field Artillery | Okara | ||||
30 Heavy SP Artillery Regiment | Rahim Yar Khan | 21st Artillery | M110 A2 203mm SP | 28°27’14.36″N | 70°14’0.96″E |
33 Heavy SP Artillery Regiment | Okara | 6th Armd Div | M110 A2 203mm SP | ||
34 Medium Artillery Regiment | Gujranwala | 21st Artillery | |||
35 Heavy SP Artillery Regiment | 21st Artillery | M110 A2 203mm SP | |||
37 Locating Regiment^ Corps^ | |||||
38 Field Regiment^ | |||||
39 Medium SP Regiment | Multan Cantt | 30°10’59.25″N | 71°25’23.49″E | ||
44 Medium Regiment | |||||
51 Medium Artillery Regiment | Peshawar | I Corps (I) | M198 155mm | ||
53 Field Regiment^ | |||||
55 Field Regiment^ | |||||
59th Field Artillery Regiment | Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | ||||
63 Medium Artillery Regiment | Ahmedpur East | 29° 8’49.41″N | 71°14’59.39″E | ||
64 Medium Artillery Regiment | Quetta, Balochistan | 30°12’28.00″N | 67° 2’39.41″E | ||
65 Medium Artillery Regiment^ | |||||
66 Medium Artillery Regiment | Kotli | 130 mm | |||
68 Field Artillery Regiment | Mehfooz Shaheed Garrison, Lahore | ||||
70 Field Artillery Regiment | Okara, Punjab* | 30°44’2.00″N | 73°20’55.28″E | ||
76 Field Artillery Regiment^ | |||||
77 Field Artillery Regiment (Saat Saat) | Jhelum, Punjab | 32°55’9.82″N | 73°41’35.33″E | ||
78 Field Artillery Regiment | Gujranwala | ||||
79 Mountain Artillery Regiment | Bagh | ||||
80 Field Artillery Regiment | Sialkot Cantt | 32°30’49.94″N | 74°31’58.14″E | ||
82 SP Medium Artillery Regiment | Multan, Punjab | 30°10’11.76″N | 71°24’50.62″E | ||
86 Field Artillery Regiment | |||||
92 Field Artillery Regiment | Mangla Cantt* | 33° 8’29.06″N | 73°36’55.43″E | ||
92 Medium Artillery Regiment | Sialkot | ||||
99 Medium Artillery Regiment | 130 mm | ||||
109 Medium Artillery Regiment | Mangla Cantt | 33° 8’23.31″N | 73°37’2.29″E | ||
110 Field Artillery Regiment | Mehfooz Garrison | 31°32’49.33″N | 74°26’11.82″E | ||
118 Medium Artillery Regiment | Okara, Punjab* | 30°43’43.02″N | 73°20’59.54″E | ||
128 Field Artillery Regiment | Sialkot | ||||
130 Medium Artillery Regiment | Okara, Punjab | 30°43’42.92″N | 73°20’48.79″E | ||
139 SP Medium Artillery Regiment | Gujranwala | XXX Corps | 32°15’40.21″N | 74° 6’25.65″E | |
140 SP Medium Artillery Regiment | Kashmore | ||||
147 Field Artillery Regiment | Upper Dir | ||||
148 Mountain Artillery Regiment | Astore | ||||
150 Medium Artillery Regiment | Lahore* | 31°30’49.57″N | 74°21’58.11″E | ||
151 Medium Artillery Regiment | 130 mm | ||||
154 Medium Artillery Regiment | M109A2 155mm SP | ||||
156 Locating Regiment | Lahore | SLC2 WLR | |||
157 Locating Regiment | SLC2 WLR | ||||
161 Field Artillery Regiment | Sialkot Cantt | ||||
170 Field Artillery Regiment | Goma, Gilgit | 35° 8’59.76″N | 76°46’51.50″E | ||
173 Medium Artillery Regiment | 6th Armd Div | M109A2 155 mm | |||
184 SP Medium Artillery Regiment | Bhawalpur | ||||
191 Regiment | Islamabad | ||||
209 Artillery Regiment | Sibi, Balochistan* | 29°32’41.53″N | 67°51’45.67″E | ||
Mujahid Force Field Artillery Regiment | Rawalpindi, Punjab* | 33°32’55.70″N | 73° 2’21.55″E | ||
831 Mujahid Field Artillery Regiment | Gilgit | 35°52’42.49″N | 74°25’54.88″E | ||
School of Artillery | Nowshera Cantt | 34° 0’15.89″N | 72° 0’3.59″E | ||
17 Locating Regiment | Malir Cantt | 24°56’7.21″N | 67°12’24.97″E | ||
158 Locating regiment | Nowshera* | SLC2 Radar | 34° 0’11.74″N | 72° 0’41.75″E | |
5 MLRS Artillery Regiment | 2nd Art Div | A-100 | |||
13 MLRS Artillery Regiment | Bahawalpur, | 29°21’45.11″N | 71°40’54.68″E | ||
172 MLRS Artillery Regiment | Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 2019 Pano Aqil | 35°52’25.45″N | 71°47’59.09″E | |
187 Missile Regiment Artillery | |||||
190 MRA | Petaro | ||||
209 Mas Battery Artillery | Sibi cantt | ||||
237 Medium Artillery^ | |||||
105 (I) Artillery Brigade | |||||
107 Artillery Brigade |
Excellent as is all your work
AFAIK, 21 Arty Div is Strategic Forces
Also, in your great article on armor, you forgot to add 25 and 26 Mech Divisions. There are two Corps, labeled as Corps reserves IV and XXXI Corps.
Yes, you’re right. There’s fair bit of missing data in there. Thanks.