M198 howitzer vs Obusier de 105 modèle 1950

M198 howitzer — licensed reference photograph

AArtillery

M198 howitzer

Towed howitzer

Credit

Staff Sgt. Vance · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

BArtillery

Obusier de 105 modèle 1950

Howitzer

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

M198 howitzerTravel

12.3 m

Length source ↗

Obusier de 105 modèle 1950Length

6 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

M198 howitzerlarger figure on 3 of 3

Mass+145%
Calibre+48%
Muzzle velocity+18%

Obusier de 105 modèle 1950larger figure on 0 of 3

None

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

21 of 45 rows sourced on both sides

12.3mTravel

Length

All recorded figures & sources

11 m

Combat

Single source

12.3 m

Travel

Single source

Combat: 11 m (36 ft 2 in) Travel: 12.3 m (40 ft 6 in)^[source]

6 m

Length

Single source

6 m (19 ft 8 in)^[source]

2.8mTravel

1.9m

Width

All recorded figures & sources

2.8 m

Travel

Single source

Travel: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)^[source]

1.9 m

Width

Single source

1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)^[source]

2.9mTravel

1.7m

Height

All recorded figures & sources

2.9 m

Travel

Single source

Travel: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)^[source]

1.7 m

Height

Single source

1.7 m (5 ft 7 in)^[source]

7.2t

2.9t

Mass+145%

All recorded figures & sources

7,154 kg

Mass

Single source

7,154 kg (15,772 lb)^[source]

2,922 kg

Mass

Single source

2,922 kg (6,442 lb)^[source]

9enlisted men

—

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

9 people

enlisted men

Single source

9 enlisted men^[source]

40kmMaximum; RAP and L/52 barrel

15kmMaximum; Maximum firing range

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

22.4 km

Maximum; Conventional

Single source

30 km

Maximum; RAP

Single source

40 km

Maximum; RAP and L/52 barrel

Single source

Conventional: 22.4km (14 mi), RAP : 30km (18.6 mi), RAP and L/52 barrel: 40km (25 mi)^[source]

14.5 km

Maximum; Maximum firing range

Single source

14.5 km (9 mi)^[source]

6.09mL/39

2.4mL/23 (with muzzle brake )

Barrel lengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

6.09 m

L/39

Single source

6.09 m (19.98 ft) L/39^[source]

2.4 m

L/23 (with muzzle brake )

Single source

2.4 m (8 ft) L/23 (with muzzle brake )^[source]

155mmCaliber

105mmCaliber

Calibre+48%

All recorded figures & sources

155 mm

Caliber

Single source

155 mm (6.1 inch)^[source]

105 mm

Caliber

Single source

105 mm (4.1 in)^[source]

4rpmMaximum

6rpm

Rate of fire

All recorded figures & sources

4 rounds/min

Maximum

Single source

2 rounds/min

Sustained

Single source

Maximum: 4 rpm Sustained: 2 rpm^[source]

6 rounds/min

Rate of fire

Single source

6 rpm^[source]

684m/s

580m/s

Muzzle velocity+18%

All recorded figures & sources

684 m/s

Muzzle velocity

Single source

684 m/s (2,240 ft/s)^[source]

580 m/s

Muzzle velocity

Single source

580 m/s (1,900 ft/s)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

M198 howitzer and Obusier de 105 modèle 1950 configuration
Specification	M198 howitzer	Obusier de 105 modèle 1950
Type	Towed howitzer^[source]	Howitzer^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	France^[source]
In service	1979–present^[source]	—
Used by	See Operators^[source]	See users^[source]
Wars	Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan war^[source]	—
Designed	1968–1977^[source]	1946^[source]
Manufacturer	Rock Island Arsenal (US)^[source]	DEFA^[source]
Unit cost	US$ 527,337^[source]	—
Produced	1978–1992^[source]	1950^[source]
No. built	1,600+^[source]	—
Shell	Separate loading charge and projectile^[source]	Semi-fixed 105x372 mm R^[source]
Breech	Interrupted screw^[source]	—
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic^[source]	Hydro-pneumatic^[source]
Carriage	Split trail^[source]	Tripod^[source]
Elevation	−5° to +72°^[source]	-7° to +70°^[source]
Traverse	45°^[source]	360°^[source]
Designer	—	DEFA^[source]
Shell weight	—	15 kg (33 lb)^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · Bahrain Reported operator · Ecuador Reported operator · El Salvador Reported operator · Honduras Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Kurdistan Reported operator · Lebanon Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Tunisia Reported operator · Thailand	Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Cameroon Reported operator · France Reported operator · Guinea Reported operator · Israel Reported operator · Ivory Coast

FORCETALLY

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M198 howitzer

Obusier de 105 modèle 1950

Type

Towed howitzer^[source]

Howitzer^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

France^[source]

In service

1979–present^[source]

—

Used by

See Operators^[source]

See users^[source]

Wars

Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan war^[source]

—

Designed

1968–1977^[source]

1946^[source]

Manufacturer

Rock Island Arsenal (US)^[source]

DEFA^[source]

Unit cost

US$ 527,337^[source]

—

Produced

1978–1992^[source]