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OTO Melara Mod 56

 

 
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The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 105 mm pack howitzer
Howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short Barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with a steep angle of descent....
 designed by OTO-Melara.

OTO Melara 105 mm Mod 56 began life in the 1950s to meet the requirement for a modern light weight howitzer that could be used by Italy's world famous Alpini
Alpini

The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command....
 Brigades. And the fact that it remained in service with those same units a full half century after the howitzer's introduction is testament to the gun's quality.






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The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 105 mm pack howitzer
Howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short Barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with a steep angle of descent....
 designed by OTO-Melara.

History

The OTO Melara 105 mm Mod 56 began life in the 1950s to meet the requirement for a modern light weight howitzer that could be used by Italy's world famous Alpini
Alpini

The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command....
 Brigades. And the fact that it remained in service with those same units a full half century after the howitzer's introduction is testament to the gun's quality. The Mod 56 has a number of unique characteristics for a weapon of its caliber, including the ability for its crew to manhandle the gun (due to its light weight), and the capability of being able to be used in the direct fire role. Being a pack howitzer it is designed to be broken down into 12 parts, each of which can be easily transported. The capability of this weapon to be "knocked-down" allows the sections to be easily transported a number of ways, including by mule, or even inside an M113. This has made the gun rather popular with Mountain
Mountain warfare

Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains....
 and Airborne
Airborne forces

Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning....
 troops in a number of countries. Over all, the Mod 56 has served in approximately 30 countries worldwide, of which a partial listing of the major operators is listed below.

The gun's light weight did have a drawback, however. The New Zealand Gunners in Vietnam found the weapon unsuitable for sustained fire support operations. The guns in Vietnam eventually had to be replaced by the robust US-made M101A1.

In Commonwealth service the gun was known as the L-5 Pack Howitzer.

Current Operators

  • Argentina
    Military of Argentina

    The Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, in Spanish Fuerzas Armadas de la Rep?blica Argentina, are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief and a civilian Minister of Defense....
  • Bangladesh
    Military of Bangladesh

    The military of Bangladesh comprises three major wings, namely, the Bangladesh Army, the Bangladesh Navy and the Bangladesh Air Force which are together referred to as the Bangladesh Armed Forces....
    * Brazil
    Military of Brazil

    The Brazilian Armed Forces comprise the Brazilian Army, the Brazilian Navy and the Brazilian Air Force....
  • Chile
    Military of Chile

    Chile's armed forces are subject to civilian control of the military exercised by the president through the Minister of Defense. Military service of 12 to 24 months is mandatory for all male citizens upon turning 18....
  • Cyprus
  • Ecuador
    Military of Ecuador

    Ecuadorian Armed ForcesThe Ecuadorian Armed Forces or Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador are part of the public forces and responsible for the preservation of the integrity and national sovereignty of the national territory....
  • Greece
    Military of Greece

    The armed forces of Greece consist of:* The Hellenic National Defense General Staff* The Hellenic Army* The Hellenic Navy* The Hellenic Air Force...
  • Malaysia
    Military of Malaysia

    The military of Malaysia is known officially as the Malaysian Armed Forces . It consists of three branches; the Royal Malaysian Navy , the Malaysian Army and the Royal Malaysian Air Force ....
  • Mexico
    Military of Mexico

    The Mexican military forces are composed of the Mexican Army and the Mexican Navy ....
  • Peru
    Military of Peru

    The Peruvian Armed Forces are the military services of Peru, comprising independent Army, Navy and Air Force components. Their primary mission is to safeguard the country's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any threat....
  • Philippines
    Armed Forces of the Philippines

    The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force. The AFP is a volunteer military and has a total active strength of 113,500 with 131,000 personnel in reserve....
  • Spain
    Spanish Armed Forces

    The armed forces of Spain are known as the Spanish Armed Forces . Their Commander-in-Chief is the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I of Spain, and consists of the Spanish Army, Spanish Navy and Spanish Air Force....
  • Venezuela
    Military of Venezuela

    , the National Armed Forces of Venezuela is roughly made up of 600,000 soldiers in four service branches--the Army, Navy , Air Force, and the Armed Forces of Cooperation , commonly known as the Venezuelan National Guard....


Former Operators

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Germany
  • Italy
    Military of Italy

    The Italy armed forces are under the command of the Italian Supreme Defense Council, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic. The total number of military personnel is approximately 308,000....
  • Portugal
    Portuguese Army

    The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal....
  • United Kingdom
  • New Zealand (24)


See also

  • M101 Howitzer
    M101 howitzer

    The 105 mm Howitzer M2A1 was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theatres....


External links