Artillery Corps (Ireland)

Artillery Corps
Active	1 October 1924 – present[1]
Country	Ireland
Branch	Army
Type	Artillery
Role	Field Artillery and Air Defence
Colors

The Artillery Corps are the artillery section of the Irish Army. The Corps provides fire support to other sections of the Army.^[1] The Corps was first founded in 1924.

Organisation

From the early 20th century, the Artillery Corps was organised into separate Coastal Defence, Field Artillery and Air Defence Regiments. In the late 20th century, the Coastal Defence component was dissolved and integrated with the Field Artillery component. In 2013 the Air Defence regiment also ceased to operate as a separate component,^[2] and the Field Artillery regiments, known as Brigade Artillery Regiments, took over the Air Defence role.^[2]

Today the Artillery Corps comprises the Artillery School, located in the Defence Forces Training Center (DFTC) in the Curragh Camp, and two Brigade Artillery Regiments (one for each of the two Brigades of the army). They are located in Collins Barracks, Cork (1 BAR) and Custume Barracks, Athlone (2 BAR).^[2][3][4] Each regiment comprises one headquarters battery, one STA battery, one Air Defence battery and three gun batteries.

Weapons

A 105mm light gun shoot.

Field artillery

• L118 & L119 105mm howitzers (main artillery support weapon)
• Brandt 81mm mortars^[5]
• Ruag 120mm heavy mortars
• Ordnance QF 25-pounder retained for use as a ceremonial gun

Air defence

• RBS-70 Surface to Air Missile system
• Bofors EL-70 40mm air defence gun (removed and placed in storage in 2013)
• Browning .50 caliber HMG (on "cobra" mount)

References