Towed artillery units are defined as large-caliber guns that are easily maneuvered by vehicle, allowing for flexibility and rapid relocation. Though strong enough to severely injure and even decimate enemy lines, these units are also able to be repositioned quickly and effectively. The types of ammunition available include smoke and explosives. These units of firepower are essential to the front lines of any modern military operation.
Though many nations do not have the necessary technology or funds to maintain top of the line artillery units, America and other high-level military powers certainly do. Advanced militaries prioritize towed artillery units, which offer consistent support to ground troops.
Though the strength of an army’s artillery unit is merely a single factor contributing to a strong military, it certainly plays a large role in a nation’s ability to defend itself.
Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at countries with large arsenals of artillery. To identify the countries with the most towed artillery, we reviewed the 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked on the total number of towed artilleries in their arsenal. We included supplemental information regarding the total military vehicles, tanks, MLRS units, and each country’s overall military strength score.
Why Are We Covering This?
Artillery is important in modern warfare because of the firepower that it implies. While these units are not as mobile as self-propelled artillery, they can still lay down serious fire from a distance. Many countries have invested heavily in these units, and understanding which countries have the most gives further context to modern military strategy.
Here is a look at the countries with the most towed artillery units:
30. Bangladesh
- Towed artillery: 437
- Self-propelled artillery: 27
- Total artillery: 464
- Total military vehicles: 13,100
- Total tanks: 320
- Total MLRS: 71
- Military strength score: 0.5419 – #37 – out of 145
29. Kazakhstan
- Towed artillery: 450
- Self-propelled artillery: 246
- Total artillery: 696
- Total military vehicles: 6,012
- Total tanks: 300
- Total MLRS: 407
- Military strength score: 0.9495 – #58 – out of 145
28. Turkmenistan
- Towed artillery: 457
- Self-propelled artillery: 73
- Total artillery: 530
- Total military vehicles: 8,312
- Total tanks: 680
- Total MLRS: 160
- Military strength score: 1.4906 – #83 – out of 145
27. Brazil
- Towed artillery: 460
- Self-propelled artillery: 172
- Total artillery: 632
- Total military vehicles: 44,044
- Total tanks: 469
- Total MLRS: 78
- Military strength score: 0.1944 – #12 – out of 145
26. Japan
- Towed artillery: 480
- Self-propelled artillery: 173
- Total artillery: 653
- Total military vehicles: 37,662
- Total tanks: 518
- Total MLRS: 54
- Military strength score: 0.1601 – #7 – out of 145
25. Algeria
- Towed artillery: 483
- Self-propelled artillery: 224
- Total artillery: 707
- Total military vehicles: 35,990
- Total tanks: 1,632
- Total MLRS: 236
- Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 – out of 145
24. Angola
- Towed artillery: 552
- Self-propelled artillery: 28
- Total artillery: 580
- Total military vehicles: 5,500
- Total tanks: 310
- Total MLRS: 123
- Military strength score: 0.8702 – #55 – out of 145
23. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Towed artillery: 580
- Self-propelled artillery: 10
- Total artillery: 590
- Total military vehicles: 450
- Total tanks: 91
- Total MLRS: 79
- Military strength score: 2.3996 – #116 – out of 145
22. Thailand
- Towed artillery: 589
- Self-propelled artillery: 50
- Total artillery: 639
- Total military vehicles: 14,040
- Total tanks: 648
- Total MLRS: 26
- Military strength score: 0.3389 – #25 – out of 145
21. Ethiopia
- Towed artillery: 648
- Self-propelled artillery: 65
- Total artillery: 713
- Total military vehicles: 10,028
- Total tanks: 680
- Total MLRS: 79
- Military strength score: 0.7938 – #49 – out of 145
20. Finland
- Towed artillery: 667
- Self-propelled artillery: 125
- Total artillery: 792
- Total military vehicles: 11,716
- Total tanks: 200
- Total MLRS: 76
- Military strength score: 0.7967 – #50 – out of 145
19. Vietnam
- Towed artillery: 700
- Self-propelled artillery: 180
- Total artillery: 880
- Total military vehicles: 18,578
- Total tanks: 2,029
- Total MLRS: 450
- Military strength score: 0.3158 – #22 – out of 145
18. Romania
- Towed artillery: 720
- Self-propelled artillery: 0
- Total artillery: 720
- Total military vehicles: 9,990
- Total tanks: 345
- Total MLRS: 225
- Military strength score: 0.7712 – #47 – out of 145
17. Greece
- Towed artillery: 729
- Self-propelled artillery: 589
- Total artillery: 1,318
- Total military vehicles: 57,030
- Total tanks: 1,365
- Total MLRS: 152
- Military strength score: 0.4349 – #32 – out of 145
16. Ukraine
- Towed artillery: 1,012
- Self-propelled artillery: 1,205
- Total artillery: 2,217
- Total military vehicles: 22,110
- Total tanks: 1,777
- Total MLRS: 491
- Military strength score: 0.2598 – #18 – out of 145
15. Taiwan
- Towed artillery: 1,120
- Self-propelled artillery: 300
- Total artillery: 1,420
- Total military vehicles: 19,868
- Total tanks: 1,010
- Total MLRS: 223
- Military strength score: 0.3302 – #24 – out of 145
14. United States
- Towed artillery: 1,267
- Self-propelled artillery: 1,595
- Total artillery: 2,862
- Total military vehicles: 360,069
- Total tanks: 4,657
- Total MLRS: 694
- Military strength score: 0.0699 – #1 – out of 145
13. China
- Towed artillery: 1,434
- Self-propelled artillery: 3,850
- Total artillery: 5,284
- Total military vehicles: 174,300
- Total tanks: 5,000
- Total MLRS: 3,180
- Military strength score: 0.0706 – #3 – out of 145
12. Iraq
- Towed artillery: 1,446
- Self-propelled artillery: 281
- Total artillery: 1,727
- Total military vehicles: 39,872
- Total tanks: 848
- Total MLRS: 425
- Military strength score: 0.7441 – #45 – out of 145
11. Egypt
- Towed artillery: 1,557
- Self-propelled artillery: 1,489
- Total artillery: 3,046
- Total military vehicles: 77,596
- Total tanks: 5,340
- Total MLRS: 1,119
- Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 – out of 145
10. Turkey
- Towed artillery: 1,747
- Self-propelled artillery: 1,038
- Total artillery: 2,785
- Total military vehicles: 55,104
- Total tanks: 2,231
- Total MLRS: 286
- Military strength score: 0.1697 – #8 – out of 145
9. Myanmar
- Towed artillery: 1,868
- Self-propelled artillery: 215
- Total artillery: 2,083
- Total military vehicles: 8,139
- Total tanks: 705
- Total MLRS: 586
- Military strength score: 0.5251 – #35 – out of 145
8. Saudi Arabia
- Towed artillery: 2,017
- Self-propelled artillery: 1,236
- Total artillery: 3,253
- Total military vehicles: 20,694
- Total tanks: 1,485
- Total MLRS: 490
- Military strength score: 0.3235 – #23 – out of 145
7. Iran
- Towed artillery: 2,050
- Self-propelled artillery: 580
- Total artillery: 2,630
- Total military vehicles: 65,765
- Total tanks: 1,996
- Total MLRS: 775
- Military strength score: 0.2269 – #14 – out of 145
6. Syria
- Towed artillery: 2,400
- Self-propelled artillery: 295
- Total artillery: 2,695
- Total military vehicles: 14,550
- Total tanks: 2,720
- Total MLRS: 614
- Military strength score: 1.0026 – #60 – out of 145
5. Pakistan
- Towed artillery: 3,238
- Self-propelled artillery: 752
- Total artillery: 3,990
- Total military vehicles: 50,523
- Total tanks: 3,742
- Total MLRS: 602
- Military strength score: 0.1711 – #9 – out of 145
4. India
- Towed artillery: 3,243
- Self-propelled artillery: 140
- Total artillery: 3,383
- Total military vehicles: 151,248
- Total tanks: 4,614
- Total MLRS: 702
- Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 – out of 145
3. North Korea
- Towed artillery: 4,500
- Self-propelled artillery: 4,500
- Total artillery: 9,000
- Total military vehicles: 24,696
- Total tanks: 5,845
- Total MLRS: 2,920
- Military strength score: 0.5313 – #36 – out of 145
2. South Korea
- Towed artillery: 4,863
- Self-propelled artillery: 3,189
- Total artillery: 8,052
- Total military vehicles: 66,492
- Total tanks: 2,501
- Total MLRS: 581
- Military strength score: 0.1416 – #5 – out of 145
1. Russia
- Towed artillery: 8,356
- Self-propelled artillery: 6,208
- Total artillery: 14,564
- Total military vehicles: 161,382
- Total tanks: 14,777
- Total MLRS: 3,065
- Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 – out of 145
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks