2001 War in Afghanistan

L118 Light Gun in the 2001 War in Afghanistan

British ISAF gunners used the L118 105 mm Light Gun in Helmand Province, with MOD/GOV.UK records documenting 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery firing and fire-support duties in 2008 and 2011.

Weapon profileL118 Light Gun
SideUnited States, NATO, and Afghan government forcesRoleFire Support
L118 Light Gun, 105 mm towed light howitzer, Artillery - 2001 War in Afghanistan
Image source: Commandos preparing to fire a L118 light gun during Exercise Heiktila

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
British ISAF soldiers from 7 Para RHA fired a 105 mm Light Gun at Taliban positions near Kajaki on 28 August 2008.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons ISAF 105mm Light Gun, Flickr Defence Imagery ISAF 105mm Light Gun

A 7 Para RHA detachment in southern Helmand provided offensive fire support and fired the L118 105 mm howitzer in 2011.

Sources: GOV.UK Gunners Ready in Helmand

The L118 was also present in a 2011 mentoring context with Afghan National Army soldiers near Gereshk.

Sources: National Army Museum L118 Crew

The weapon's documented Afghanistan role was British light-artillery fire support under the ISAF/NATO-aligned side.

Sources: GOV.UK Gunners Ready in Helmand, Wikimedia Commons ISAF 105mm Light Gun

Timeline

L118 Light Gun In 2001 War in Afghanistan

  1. 7 Para RHA fires a 105 mm Light Gun near Kajaki

    MOD image metadata records ISAF soldiers with 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery firing a 105 mm Light Gun at Taliban positions in support of 3 Para patrols from FOB Zeebrugge, Kajaki.

    Sources: Wikimedia Commons ISAF 105mm Light Gun, Flickr Defence Imagery ISAF 105mm Light Gun

  2. GOV.UK describes L118 fire-support detachment in Helmand

    The Ministry of Defence reported that a 7 Para RHA gun detachment in southern Helmand provided offensive fire support and fired the L118 105 mm howitzer.

    Sources: GOV.UK Gunners Ready in Helmand

  3. L118 crew documented mentoring Afghan soldiers near Gereshk

    The National Army Museum records a 7 Para RHA L118 105 mm light-gun crew near Gereshk during training and mentoring of Afghan National Army soldiers at Artillery Hill.

    Sources: National Army Museum L118 Crew

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The L118 Light Gun is directly documented in British and ISAF use during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. MOD image metadata for 28 August 2008 identifies ISAF soldiers from 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery firing a 105 mm Light Gun at Taliban positions in support of 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment patrols deploying from FOB Zeebrugge near Kajaki, Afghanistan.

A later GOV.UK Ministry of Defence article places a 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery gun detachment in southern Helmand in January 2011. It says the detachment provided offensive fire support for troops on the ground and that Gunner Jonathan Long worked as part of the team that brought into action, maintained, and fired the L118 105 mm howitzer.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons ISAF 105mm Light Gun, GOV.UK Gunners Ready in Helmand

Timeline

The clearest dated firing record is 28 August 2008, when MOD imagery shows 7 Para RHA firing the Light Gun at Taliban positions near Kajaki. The same image was later distributed through Defence Imagery and Wikimedia Commons, with metadata tying the action to Operation Herrick and Helmand Province.

By February 2011, National Army Museum cataloguing places a 7 Para RHA L118 105 mm light-gun crew near Gereshk at Artillery Hill, where British gunners trained and mentored Afghan National Army soldiers. GOV.UK's January 2011 Helmand article documents the same regiment's L118 detachment providing offensive fire support in southern Helmand.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons ISAF 105mm Light Gun, National Army Museum L118 Crew, GOV.UK Gunners Ready in Helmand

Operational role

The supported Afghanistan role is light artillery fire support by British forces within the United States, NATO, and Afghan government side of the war. The documented units are 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery detachments operating with ISAF and British battle groups in Helmand Province.

The sources distinguish combat firing from training and mentoring. The 2008 MOD image metadata records firing at Taliban positions in support of patrols, GOV.UK describes a 2011 gun detachment ready to provide offensive fire support and fire the L118, and the National Army Museum record documents L118 crew activity while mentoring Afghan National Army soldiers near Gereshk.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons ISAF 105mm Light Gun, GOV.UK Gunners Ready in Helmand, National Army Museum L118 Crew

Images

Conflict Context

ISAF soldiers firing a 105 mm Light Gun in Helmand Province, Afghanistan
ISAF soldiers with 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery fire a 105 mm Light Gun at Taliban positions near Kajaki, Afghanistan, on 28 August 2008.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons ISAF 105mm Light Gun

Related Weapons by Role

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Sources