The United States military is one of, if not the most, technologically advanced militaries in the world. This includes its artillery, with its sophisticated and lethal systems. The military’s artillery weapons have varying ranges, from just 2 miles to some able to reach targets as far as the distance between New York and Boston or Dallas and Houston.
To determine the longest range artillery weapons used by the U.S. military, 24/7 Wall St. referenced GlobalSecurity.org’s online database of weapons systems. GlobalSecurity.org is a source of information in the fields of defense, space, intelligence, WMD, and homeland security. We focused on mobile and towed artillery used in the battlefield. This list, which includes all ground artillery weapons in use by the U.S. military, is ranked by their range, from shortest to longest range. All other information came from GlobalSecurity.org or, when unavailable, from third party military sites.
One of the most agile and effective artillery pieces the U.S. military has been using in recent years is the M777. This 155mm howitzer has been used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan and boasts an impressive range of up to 40 kilometers (nearly 25 miles). It is also highly mobile, making it a favorite among troops who need to quickly move and set up their firing positions. (These are the most expensive land vehicles used by the U.S. Military.)
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is another long-range artillery weapon used extensively in recent years. This system, which can fire a variety of missile types up to 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) away, has been used in recent conflicts in the Middle East. It is capable of delivering a devastating amount of firepower to enemy positions.
Some of Ukraine’s allies have provided it with MLRS systems to aid it in its fight against Russia . The U.S. also sent Ukraine quite a few M124 HIMARs rocket systems – another system on this list. (As of October 2022 these were all of the weapons the U.S. has committed to Ukraine since the invasion.)
Click here to see the US military’s longest-range artillery.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
24. M224 60-mm
> Max range 3.5 kilometers
> Fastest rate of fire: 30 rounds per minute for 4 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 20 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 3
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
23. M29 81-mm
> Max range 4.79 kilometers
> Fastest rate of fire: 25 rounds per minute for 2 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 8 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
22. M252 81-mm
> Max range 5.8 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 30 rounds per minute for 2 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 15 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
21. LAV-M
> Max range 5.8 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 30 rounds per minute for 2 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 15 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
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Source: US Army / Public Domain
20. M30 107-mm
> Max range 7.2 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 18 rounds per minute for 1 minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 3 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
19. M125
> Max range 7.2 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 16 rounds per minute for 1 minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 6
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
18. M1064
> Max range 7.2 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 16 rounds per minute for 1 minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 6
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
17. M120 120-mm
> Max range 7.2 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 16 rounds per minute for 1 minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
16. EFSS
> Max range 7.2 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 16 rounds per minute for 1 minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
15. LAV-EFSS
> Max range 7.2 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 16 rounds per minute for 1 minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
14. EFOGM
> Max range 15 kilometers
> Fastest rate of fire: 9 minute reload (8-24 rockets)
> Sustained rate of fire: Not applicable
> Crew size: 2
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Source: Public Domain / US Army
13. Hawkeye MWS
> Max range 19.5 kilometers
> Fastest rate of fire: 8 rounds per minute for 3 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 3 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 4
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
12. M109
> Max range 23 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute for 3 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 1 round per minute
> Crew size: 6
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
11. M992 FAASV
> Max range 23 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute for 3 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 1 round per minute
> Crew size: 0
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10. M109A6 Paladin
> Max range 30 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute for 3 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 1 round per minute
> Crew size: 4
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
9. M109A7 Paladin
> Max range 30 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute for 3 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 1 round per minute
> Crew size: 4
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
8. M198
> Max range 30 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 4 rounds per minute for 3 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 2 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 9
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
7. FCS NLOS
> Max range 30 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 10 rounds per minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 10 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 2
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
6. M2001 Crusader
> Max range 40 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 10-12 rounds per minute for 3-5 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 6 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 3
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
5. M777 LW155
> Max range 40 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 5-8 rounds per minute for 2 minutes
> Sustained rate of fire: 2 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
4. M1299 ERCA
> Max range 70 kilometers
> Fastest rate of fire: 3 rounds per minute
> Sustained rate of fire: 3 rounds per minute
> Crew size: 4
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
3. M270 MLRS
> Max range 300 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 9 minute reload (12 rockets)
> Sustained rate of fire: Not applicable
> Crew size: 3
24/7 Wall St.
Source: JeffHower / iStock via Getty Images
2. M993 MLRS
> Max range 300 kilometers (tied)
> Fastest rate of fire: 9 minute reload (12 rockets)
> Sustained rate of fire: Not applicable
> Crew size: 3
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
1. M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)
> Max range 499 kilometers
> Fastest rate of fire: 5 minute reload (2-6 rockets)
> Sustained rate of fire: Not applicable
> Crew size: 3
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