Artillery battery
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In military science, a battery is a group of artillery or cannon, so grouped in order to facilitate battlefield communication and the organization of barrages. In modern military organization, the military unit typically has 6 or 8 howitzers and 100–200 personnel. They are subdivided into:
- Field batteries, equipped with 105 mm calibre howitzers or equivalent;
- Medium batteries, equipped with 155 mm calibre howitzers or equivalent;
- Heavy batteries, which are equipped with guns of 203 mm or more calibre, but are now very rare; and
- Various more specialised types, such as anti-aircraft, missile, or Multiple Launch Rocket System batteries.
The battery is typically commanded by a captain and is analogous to the infantry company.
Historically, many countries also maintained coastal defence batteries, typically equipped with very heavy guns in fixed, fortified emplacements along approaches to seaports, and intended to provide defense against warships. These are now obsolete. A few countries maintain coastal defence artillery units, but these units are organised and equipped quite differently to traditional artillery, often with rockets and torpedoes.
Groupings of mortars are referred to as platoons rather than batteries; although they resemble artillery mortars are typically considered infantry weapons.
See also
- Battery Park (New York)de:Batterie (Militär)