155 mm NATO-standard ammunition

155 mm NATO-standard ammunition is the shared Western artillery ammunition family organized around NATO JBMOU and STANAG requirements. It covers a range of shell and charge combinations for 155 mm guns, including 39-caliber systems such as the AH-4 when configured for western-made 155 mm rounds.

155 mm NATO-standard ammunition, 155 mm artillery ammunition family compatible with 39-caliber guns, Munitions

Image source: Preparing To Load

Profile

Origin: NATO standard / multinational
Built by: Various manufacturers
Built in: Multiple countries
Type: 155 mm artillery ammunition family compatible with 39-caliber guns
Service note: Modern NATO-standard artillery ammunition family

NATO artillery ammunition 155 mm

Specifications

Caliber: 155 mm
Standards: NATO Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding (JBMOU) and STANAG requirements
Compatible gun class: 155 mm guns, including 39-caliber systems
Ammunition examples: High-explosive, inert, extended-range, and modular propelling-charge combinations

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Standard ammunition family used with NATO-compliant 155 mm guns and propelling charges.

NATO 155 mm ammunition context

BAE Systems describes its 155 mm ammunition range as designed to NATO JBMOU and STANAG requirements and usable with a range of 155 mm guns.

Firing weapon	Type	Evidence
AH-4 155 mm howitzer	155 mm / 39-caliber lightweight towed howitzer	ODIN says the AH-4 can fire all western-made 155 mm/39 caliber rounds.

Firing Weapons

This ammunition family is documented for use with 155 mm guns, including 39-caliber Western systems.

Firing weapon

Weapon type

Firing evidence

AH-4 155 mm howitzer

155 mm lightweight towed howitzer

ODIN says the AH-4 can fire all western-made 155 mm/39 caliber rounds, and Army Recognition identifies the AH-4 as a 155 mm / 39-caliber ordnance system.

Sources: AH-4 Chinese 155mm Towed Howitzer - ODIN, NORINCO AH4 155 mm howitzers for United Arab Emirates army

155 mm NATO-standard ammunition Images

155 mm NATO-standard ammunition, 155 mm artillery ammunition family compatible with 39-caliber guns, Munitions - view 1 — Source: Preparing To Load

155 mm NATO-standard ammunition, 155 mm artillery ammunition family compatible with 39-caliber guns, Munitions - view 2 — Source: Artillery Shell Artifact

Related Weapon Systems

L15 High Explosive, 155 mm high-explosive artillery shell, Munitions

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155 mm NATO ammunition, 155 mm standard artillery ammunition for 39-, 45-, and 52-caliber howitzers, Munitions

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M2005 V-LAP 155 mm shell, 155 mm rocket-assisted base-bleed shell, Munitions

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M549A1 rocket-assisted projectile, 155 mm high-explosive rocket-assisted projectile, Munitions

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M982 Excalibur guided artillery projectile, 155 mm GPS/INS-guided artillery projectile, Munitions

MunitionsM982 Excalibur guided artillery projectile155 mm GPS/INS-guided artillery projectileM982 Excalibur is a co-developed U.S.-Swedish 155 mm precision artillery projectile that gives compatible howitzers first-round guided effects at extended range. In this catalog it is documented with U.S.-led coalition use in Operation Inherent Resolve and U.S. fielding and combat-use evidence from the War in Afghanistan.

Sources

155mm Artillery AmmunitionPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports the NATO JBMOU/STANAG context, 155 mm ammunition family description, and the claim that the range is designed for use with a range of 155 mm guns. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 AH-4 Chinese 155mm Towed Howitzer - ODINPublisher: U.S. Army ODIN | Note: Supports the AH-4 compatibility context by stating that the howitzer can fire all western-made 155 mm/39 caliber rounds. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 NORINCO AH4 155 mm howitzers for United Arab Emirates armyPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the AH-4 background and 155 mm / 39-caliber ordnance description used in the relationship section. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 Preparing To LoadPublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain artillery-loading image used on the ammunition family page. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 Artillery Shell ArtifactPublisher: Canadian War Museum | Note: Supports image provenance for the museum artillery-shell image used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-23