M198 155 mm howitzer

The M198 is a U.S.-designed 155 mm towed howitzer developed at Rock Island Arsenal to replace older M114-series guns. Its air-transportable carriage, nine-person crew, and 22-30 km range made it a standard U.S. Army and Marine Corps fire-support weapon before the lighter M777 replaced it in U.S. service. In the 2013-2017 Iraq war archive, the directly sourced use centers on Islamic State capture of Iraqi M198s in 2014 and reported firing of a captured gun.

War in Iraq (2013-2017)Islamic State

Conflict side: Islamic State
Built by: Rock Island Arsenal
Built in: United States

M198 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery

Image source: Iraqi Army M198 with Task Force Monsabert and Wagram, Image 1

Profile

Type: 155 mm towed howitzer
Conflict side: Islamic State
Origin: United States
Service note: Fielded from the late 1970s; still present in several foreign inventories during the 2010s

NATO artillery towed 155 mm strike

Service History

In service: Fielded beginning in 1978-1979; phased out of U.S. frontline service in favor of the M777 but retained or transferred abroad
Used by: United States Army, United States Marine Corps, Iraqi Army, Islamic State
Wars: War in Iraq (2013-2017)

Production History

Designer: Rock Island Arsenal Rodman Research Laboratory
Designed: 1968-1977
Built by: Rock Island Arsenal
Built in: United States
Produced: Full production from 1978; complete howitzers produced at Rock Island Arsenal into the 1990s
Number built: About 1,600 or more complete weapons reported in secondary manufacturer/reference material
Variants: Standard M198 155 mm towed howitzer

Specifications

Caliber: 155 mm
Crew: 9
Weight: 7,154 kg (15,772 lb)
Barrel length: 6.09 m (19.98 ft)
Rate of fire: Maximum 4 rounds per minute; sustained 2 rounds per minute
Maximum range: 22.4 km with conventional projectiles; about 30 km with rocket-assisted projectiles
Mobility: Towed split-trail carriage; designed for parachute drop or helicopter sling transport by CH-53E or CH-47

Conflict Usage

War in Iraq (2013-2017): Side: Islamic StateRole: Captured heavy indirect firestrike
Islamic State forces captured Iraqi M198 155 mm howitzers during the 2014 offensive and were later reported on video firing an M198; the firing footage was reported as possibly recorded in Syria, so the Iraq-war claim is limited to captured Iraqi stocks and cross-border fielding.

M198 155 mm howitzer Images

M198 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery - view 1 — Source: Iraqi Army M198 with Task Force Monsabert and Wagram, Image 1

M198 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery - view 2 — Source: Iraqi Army M198 with Task Force Monsabert and Wagram, Image 1

M198 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery - view 3 — Source: Iraqi Army M198 with Task Force Monsabert and Wagram, Image 1

Related Weapon Systems

AH-1 155 mm Howitzer, 155 mm towed gun-howitzer, Artillery

ArtilleryAH-1 155 mm Howitzer155 mm towed gun-howitzerThe AH-1 is a Chinese 155 mm towed gun-howitzer associated with Norinco's PLL01/WA-021 artillery family and marketed as an export model with an auxiliary power unit. In the Tigray War, open-source documentation lists seven AH-1 howitzers among heavy weapons visually confirmed as operated by Tigray Defence Forces after large quantities of Ethiopian Army equipment fell into Tigrayan hands.

122 mm M-30 howitzer, 122 mm towed field howitzer, Artillery

Artillery122 mm M-30 howitzer122 mm towed field howitzerThe 122 mm M-30 howitzer is a Soviet split-trail towed field howitzer designed before World War II and produced in large numbers by Soviet plants. Its appearance in the Nagorno-Karabakh archive reflects the continued battlefield use of older Soviet artillery stocks by Armenian/Artsakh forces alongside newer 122 mm systems.

155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery

Artillery155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer155 mm towed howitzerThe 155 mm FH77B Bofors howitzer is a Swedish towed artillery piece developed by Bofors and widely known in India as the Bofors gun. During the 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes, Indian Army reporting and defense coverage described it being used for retaliatory fire across the Line of Control.

82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar, 82 mm automatic gun-mortar, Artillery

Artillery82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar82 mm automatic gun-mortarThe 82 mm 2B9 Vasilek is a Soviet automatic gun-mortar that combines mortar trajectories with clip-fed rapid fire from a wheeled carriage. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, open-source loss documentation places captured Vasilek mortars on the Armenia / Artsakh side, making it part of the short-range indirect-fire layer around the 2020 fighting.

A-19 122 mm field gun, 122 mm towed corps gun, Artillery

ArtilleryA-19 122 mm field gun122 mm towed corps gunThe A-19 is a Soviet 122 mm towed field gun developed for corps-level artillery fire, combining a long barrel, separate-loading ammunition, and an approximately 20 km range. In the Yemen Civil War archive it is included conservatively as legacy Yemeni Army artillery documented in pre-war holdings available to battlefield parties, not as a source-confirmed record of a specific firing event.

AH-4 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm lightweight towed howitzer, Artillery

ArtilleryAH-4 155 mm howitzer155 mm lightweight towed howitzerThe AH-4 is a Chinese Norinco 155 mm lightweight towed howitzer built for rapid deployment and export use. In the Sudan War, Amnesty International identified the system in RSF-held material in Khartoum and said AH-4 howitzers were used in Darfur.

Sources

RIA Self-Guided Tour: M198 155MM Towed HowitzerPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports M198 background, Rock Island Arsenal design and production history, air-transportability, fielding timeline, and replacement by the M777. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 M198 155mm HowitzerPublisher: Ultra Defense Corp | Note: Supports M198 specifications including caliber, weight, crew, barrel length, rate of fire, and maximum range. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Video: Islamic State fighters appear to fire U.S.-made M198 Howitzer artilleryPublisher: The Washington Post | Note: Supports War in Iraq (2013-2017) conflict usage: an M198 howitzer was reported fired by Islamic State militants after M198 guns were seized from Iraqi bases; the article notes uncertainty over whether the firing video was recorded in Iraq or Syria. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 ISIS Militants Captured 52 American-Made Artillery Weapons That Cost $500,000 EachPublisher: Business Insider | Note: Supports War in Iraq (2013-2017) conflict usage: M198 155 mm howitzers were captured by Islamic State from Iraqi military stocks during the June 2014 offensive and could be used by the group for area shelling. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Iraqi Army M198 with Task Force Monsabert and Wagram, Image 1Publisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the primary image of Iraqi soldiers loading an M198 155 mm howitzer at Besmaya, Iraq. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Iraqi Army M198 with Task Force Monsabert and Wagram, Image 3Publisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the gallery image of Iraqi soldiers standing by for a fire mission with an M198 155 mm howitzer. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 U.S. Marines fire their 155mm M198 Medium Howitzer on an insurgent positionPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the gallery image showing an M198 howitzer firing in Iraq in 2004. | Accessed: 2026-06-22