Profile
- Type
- 105 mm towed pack howitzer
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- Italy; supplied to Ukraine by Spain
- Service note
- 1957-present service; documented in Ukraine from 2023
Artillery
OTO Melara Mod 56
The OTO Melara Mod 56 is an Italian 105 mm pack howitzer built for light and mountain artillery, combining a low towing weight with a design that can be broken down into transportable loads. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Spanish-supplied light artillery system for Ukrainian forces, trading range and shell weight for mobility and compatibility with 105 mm artillery ammunition.
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Built by
- OTO Melara
- Built in
- Italy
Service History
- In service
- Adopted by the Italian Army as the 105/14 Mod 56 in 1957; later exported and supplied to Ukraine by Spain
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, Spanish Army, Italian Army
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- OTO Melara
- Designed
- 1955-1956 trials period
- Built by
- OTO Melara
- Built in
- Italy
- Produced
- 1950s onward
- Variants
- 105/14 Mod 56, L5 Pack Howitzer
Specifications
- Caliber
- 105 mm
- Configuration
- Towed pack howitzer with split-trail carriage
- Weight
- 1.33 tonnes
- Crew
- 6
- Maximum range
- 14 km
- Maximum rate of fire
- 6 rounds per minute
- Mobility
- Can be divided into 12 transportable components
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Ukrainian forces fielded the Italian 105 mm Mod 56 after Spanish-supplied guns appeared in 2023; reporting placed the weapon with Ukrainian gunners in Donbas and listed six Spanish-delivered examples.
Related Weapon Systems
FH70155 mm towed howitzerThe FH70 is a jointly developed British-West German-Italian 155 mm L/39 towed howitzer with an auxiliary power unit for limited self-movement. In Ukrainian service it added another NATO-standard tube-artillery option alongside M777 and CAESAR systems, giving Ukrainian artillery units a 155 mm platform documented at the front from 2022.
L118 Light Gun105 mm towed light howitzerThe L118 Light Gun is a British 105 mm towed artillery system built for mobile field artillery, airborne movement, and rapid emplacement. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine's directly sourced combat context is tied to the L119 variant of the same light-gun family, supplied by the United Kingdom and supported by allied training and maintenance.
M101 105 mm Howitzer105 mm towed field howitzerThe M101 is a U.S.-origin 105 mm towed field howitzer whose low weight, standard 105 mm ammunition, and simple split-trail carriage kept it useful long after World War II. In Ukraine, Lithuanian-donated M101A1 guns provide shorter-range tube artillery for infantry fire support where mobility, available ammunition, and survivable dispersed gun positions matter more than modern 155 mm range.
M119105 mm lightweight towed howitzerThe M119 is the U.S. 105 mm lightweight towed howitzer derived from the British L119 light gun and built around air-mobile infantry fire support. The M119A3 variant adds digital fire control, self-location, and communications upgrades while retaining a light carriage that can be moved by trucks, cargo aircraft, or helicopter. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukrainian forces received 105 mm howitzers and were documented training on American M119A3 guns to add a mobile, NATO-standard light artillery option alongside heavier 155 mm systems.
MO-120 RT120 mm rifled towed heavy mortarThe MO-120 RT is a French 120 mm rifled towed heavy mortar developed by Brandt and later associated with TDA/Thales production. Its rifled barrel, two-wheel carriage, and rocket-assisted ammunition option give it longer range than many smoothbore infantry mortars, while remaining towable by light or medium vehicles. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukrainian forces received Belgian MO-120 RT mortars and used the type for front-line indirect fire support.
AGM-88 HARMAir-to-surface anti-radiation missileThe AGM-88 HARM is a U.S. high-speed anti-radiation missile built to home on radar emissions from enemy air-defense systems. In the Russia-Ukraine War, U.S.-supplied HARMs gave Ukrainian aircraft a suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses weapon for forcing or striking Russian radar systems despite the missile's original integration with Western aircraft.Sources
OTO Melara Mod 56 Towed Howitzer 105/14Publisher: Spanish Army | Note: Official Spanish Army equipment page supporting manufacturer, caliber, crew, range, weight, rate of fire, role, and ammunition-type data. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Obice 105/14 mod. 56 Parte quartaPublisher: Museo Nazionale Storico degli Alpini | Note: Supports Italian Army testing and adoption background for the 105/14 Mod 56. | Accessed: 2026-06-20OTO Melara 105 mm Howitzer Was Seen in Action in UkrainePublisher: Defense Express | Note: Documents Ukrainian gunners using the OTO Melara Mod 56 in the Russia-Ukraine War and provides supporting technical context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Guns N' Gazpacho: Spanish Military Aid To UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Direct Russia-Ukraine War source for Spanish delivery or pledge of six 105 mm OTO Melara Mod 56 howitzers to Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20OTO Melara Mod 56 Pack howitzer of Italian Army during exercise Lavaredo 2019Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page; the file is attributed to the Italian Army and published under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic. | Accessed: 2026-06-20