Heavy-calibre weapons

Heavy-calibre weapons is a conservative aggregate entry for the mortars and heavy-calibre artillery publicly cited in the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict. Indian Ministry of Defence reporting attributed intensified Pakistani Line of Control shelling to mortars and heavy-calibre artillery, but did not identify the exact Pakistani gun or mortar models, so this record documents the sourced category rather than a specific weapon system.

2025 India-Pakistan ConflictPakistan

Conflict side: Pakistan
Built by: Various manufacturers
Built in: Multiple countries

Heavy-calibre weapons, Aggregate heavy artillery and mortar category, Artillery

Image source: 155mm Howitzer Front Image

Profile

Type: Aggregate heavy artillery and mortar category
Conflict side: Pakistan
Origin: Multiple countries; exact Pakistani systems not publicly identified in the cited 2025 source
Service note: Modern tube-artillery and mortar classes in service through the 2020s

artillery mortar indirect fire

Service History

In service: Used as an aggregate category for publicly reported mortar and heavy artillery fire where exact models are not identified.
Used by: Pakistan Army
Wars: 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict

Production History

Designer: Multiple designers, depending on the specific artillery or mortar system
Designed: Varies by system family
Built by: Various manufacturers
Built in: Multiple countries
Unit cost: Varies by weapon system and ammunition type
Produced: Varies by system family
Number built: Not applicable to the aggregate category
Variants: Heavy mortars, Towed heavy artillery, Self-propelled heavy artillery

Specifications

Representative calibers: The cited conflict source names mortars and heavy-calibre artillery without identifying models; common heavy indirect-fire classes include 120 mm mortars and 155 mm howitzers.
Fire-control role: Indirect fire against area targets, field positions, and infrastructure along a front or border sector.
Mortar trajectory: Heavy mortars fire explosive projectiles at high arcing trajectories and shorter ranges than larger artillery pieces.
155 mm howitzer example: BAE Systems describes the M777 as a 155 mm, 39-caliber towed howitzer, illustrating a common modern heavy-artillery caliber.
Sourcing limitation: Exact Pakistani gun, howitzer, or mortar models used in the May 2025 LoC shelling are not identified in the public direct-use source.

Conflict Usage

2025 India-Pakistan Conflict: Side: PakistanRole: Line of Control shelling and indirect firesstrike
Indian Ministry of Defence reporting said Pakistani forces used mortars and heavy-calibre artillery during intensified Line of Control firing in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri on May 8, 2025; the public release did not identify exact gun or mortar models.

Heavy-calibre weapons Images

Heavy-calibre weapons, Aggregate heavy artillery and mortar category, Artillery - view 1 — Source: 155mm Howitzer Front Image

Heavy-calibre weapons, Aggregate heavy artillery and mortar category, Artillery - view 2 — Source: M327 120mm Mortar Image

Heavy-calibre weapons, Aggregate heavy artillery and mortar category, Artillery - view 3 — Source: 155mm Howitzer Firing Image

Related Weapon Systems

120 mm M75 mortar, 120 mm towed smoothbore mortar, Artillery

Artillery120 mm M75 mortar120 mm towed smoothbore mortarThe 120 mm M75 mortar is a Yugoslav-designed towed smoothbore mortar for infantry fire support, smoke, illumination, and high-angle indirect fire in broken terrain. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, open-source loss documentation places M75 mortars with Armenian/Artsakh forces during the 2020 war, where several were destroyed or captured.

120 mm mortar, Heavy mortar, Artillery

Artillery120 mm mortarHeavy mortarThe 120 mm mortar is a heavy, muzzle-loaded indirect-fire weapon class used worldwide in towed, dismounted, and vehicle-mounted forms. During the 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes, Pakistani gunners fired 120 mm mortars across the Line of Control, and AFP reported a Kalal house being hit by nine rounds.

120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, Artillery

Artillery120 mm mortar launcherHeavy mortar launcherA 120 mm mortar launcher is a heavy crew-served indirect-fire weapon used to fire high-angle mortar bombs from a tube, baseplate, and bipod or from a vehicle mount. In the Boko Haram Insurgency, the documented case here is a Nigerien report that a 120-mm mortar was seized from Boko Haram fighters in the Lake Chad region, so the entry treats the system as an insurgent-held heavy mortar rather than a precisely identified national model.

81/82 mm mortar, 81/82 mm crew-served medium mortar, Artillery

Artillery81/82 mm mortar81/82 mm crew-served medium mortarThe 81/82 mm mortar family covers the standard crew-served, muzzle-loaded, high-angle indirect-fire class used by infantry and light artillery units worldwide. In the Kurdish-Turkish Conflict, a 2018 analysis of PKK tactics describes Russian-made 82 mm mortars used against Turkish security facilities in mountainous areas and later PKK use of 81 mm mortar tools as well, without identifying one specific model. In the War in Afghanistan, U.S. budget documents show Afghan Border Police 82 mm mortars sustained for patrol and border checkpoint missions, reflecting continued Afghan government fielding of the system.

ECIA L-65 mortar, Smoothbore mortar family, Artillery

ArtilleryECIA L-65 mortarSmoothbore mortar familyThe ECIA L-65 is a Spanish mortar family built by Esperanza y Cia for infantry and vehicle-mounted indirect fire. In the Boko Haram Insurgency, open-source arms-control research lists an ECIA L-65 mortar among materiel in service with, or recovered from, Boko Haram factions, but does not identify the recovered caliber or confirm present holdings.

M933-series mortar projectile, 120mm high-explosive mortar cartridge, Artillery

ArtilleryM933-series mortar projectile120mm high-explosive mortar cartridgeThe M933-series mortar projectile is a U.S. 120mm high-explosive mortar cartridge family centered on the M933A1, a service round for M120 and M121 mortar systems. In the Israel-Hamas War, the United States approved a Foreign Military Sale to Israel for 50,400 M933A1 cartridges in August 2024.

Sources

PIB Pakistan's Bid to Escalate NegatedPublisher: Press Information Bureau, Government of India | Note: Supports 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct use: used by Pakistan as mortars and heavy-calibre artillery during Line of Control firing in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Field ArtilleryPublisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica | Note: Supports background on field artillery, including guns, howitzers, mortars, and their trajectories. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Mortar WeaponPublisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica | Note: Supports background and specifications for mortars as short-barreled artillery firing explosive projectiles on high, arcing trajectories. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 M777 Lightweight Towed 155mm HowitzerPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports representative manufacturer and specifications context for a modern 155 mm, 39-caliber towed howitzer. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Large Calibre Weapons and AmmunitionPublisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Supports manufacturer background for large-calibre weapons and ammunition as a representative industrial category. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 155mm Howitzer Front ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing for a U.S. Army 155 mm howitzer photograph used as the primary illustration. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 M327 120mm Mortar ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing for a 120 mm mortar photograph used to illustrate the mortar portion of the aggregate category. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 155mm Howitzer Firing ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing for a U.S. Army 155 mm howitzer firing photograph used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-21