L118 Light Gun Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Gun, 105mm, Field, L118
The L118 in Afghanistan
Type	Towed howitzer
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
Used by	British Army
Wars	Western Sahara War, Falklands War, Yugoslav Wars, Sierra Leone Civil War, Iraq War, Afghanistan War
Production history
Designer	Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment
Manufacturer	Royal Ordnance Factory (later BAE Systems Land and Armaments)
Produced	from 1975
Specifications
Mass	1,858 kg (4,096 lb)
Length	8.8 m (28 ft 10 in)
Barrel length	37 calibers
Width	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Height	2.13 m (7 ft)
Crew	6 (normal), 4 (reduced)

Calibre	105 mm (4.1 in)
Rate of fire	6-8 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	maximum 708 m/s (2,320 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	17,200 m (18,800 yd)

The L118 Light Gun is a powerful type of howitzer, which is a kind of artillery gun. It was first made for the British Army in the 1970s. This gun has been used in many places around the world. The United States uses a special version of the L118 called the M119A1. Its full name is "Gun, 105mm, Field, L118," but most people just call it "the Light Gun."

The L118 is quite light for a big gun. It can be towed by a medium-sized vehicle. It can also be moved by a Chinook helicopter, which is a very large helicopter.

History of the Light Gun
- Developing the New Gun
- The Light Gun in British Service
Design Features
- Ammunition Used
- Design Updates
Different Types of L118 Guns
- The L119 Version
- The M119A1 Version
Images for kids
See also

History of the Light Gun

Developing the New Gun

From 1961 to the 1970s, the British Army used a different light howitzer called the 105 mm Pack Howitzer L5. This gun was designed in Italy. It was light enough to be lifted by Westland Wessex helicopters or pulled by Land Rovers. However, it could not shoot very far and its sights were not very good.

In 1965, the British Army decided they needed a new 105 mm howitzer. The old pack howitzer "lacked range and lethality," meaning it couldn't shoot far enough or cause enough damage.

The new gun was soon called the 'Light Gun'. It was designed by a government group called the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE). The first test versions were tried out in 1968. During testing, they realized the gun needed to be a bit heavier to be strong and stable enough. Because of this, several guns were redesigned.

The first L118 guns were made by the Royal Ordnance Factory in Nottingham. This company is now part of BAE Systems Land and Armaments.

The Light Gun in British Service

The L118 was first used by the British Army in 1976. Even though the new gun was heavier than the old Pack Howitzer, new and better helicopters were also becoming available. Helicopters like the Puma and Westland Sea King could easily carry the L118.

Since the late 1990s, the British Army has used Pinzgauer ATVs to move the guns. In very cold places like the Arctic, the L118 is moved by a special vehicle called the Hägglunds Bv 206. When it moves on snow, skis are put on it.

In 1982, the L118 was used a lot during the Falklands War. About 30 of these guns were sent to the Falkland Islands. Since then, British forces have used the L118 in many conflicts, including the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The One O'Clock Gun firing

On November 30, 2001, an L118 Light Gun became the famous One O'Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle. This gun fires every day at one o'clock in the afternoon, except on Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day.

Design Features

The Light Gun took some ideas from an older gun called the QF 25 pounder. However, the L118 is much lighter than the QD 25 pounder.

The L118 has a special system called the Automatic Pointing System. This system helps the gun get ready to fire very quickly. It can be unpacked and ready for action in just 30 seconds!

Ammunition Used

The L118 fires 105 mm Fd Mk 2 ammunition. It uses two main types of cartridges for fighting and a blank one for ceremonies.

Here are some types of ammunition used by the British Army:

L31 High Explosive (HE): This shell is filled with 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) of powerful explosives like RDX/TNT. It can shoot as far as 17.2 km (10.7 mi).
L45 Smoke Base Ejection: This special shell creates white smoke when it hits the ground. The smoke can last for about 60 seconds.
Target Marker: These shells make orange (L38) or red (L37) clouds. They can explode in the air or on the ground. They are used to mark targets for things like airstrikes.
L43 Illuminating: This shell is an illumination shell. It lights up an area, like a giant flare. It burns brightly for 30 seconds.

The UK has never used WP (white phosphorus) smoke shells for the L118. New and even more powerful ammunition for the L118 is currently being developed. These new shells will cause more damage and have a longer range.

Design Updates

In the early 1990s, all L118 guns in the UK were updated with a radar system and its power supply.

A program that started in 2007 aimed to make the gun even lighter and improve some of its features. To reduce the gun's weight, some steel parts were replaced with lighter titanium parts.

Different Types of L118 Guns

The L119 Version

The L119 is a version of the Light Gun with a different, slightly shorter barrel. It fires different ammunition, which gives it a shorter range of 11,400 m (12,500 yd). In British service, the L119 was only used for training. The last L119s used by the British were retired in 2005.