Military Power.net

Artillery by Country: The Guns and Rockets Behind Modern War

Russia has more artillery than any country we track, with South Korea a surprise second. Self-propelled, towed and rocket artillery by country in 2026.

Land, , 2 min read

If the war in Ukraine has taught observers one thing, it is that artillery still dominates land warfare. Both sides have fired millions of shells, and shortages of ammunition have at times mattered more than shortages of soldiers. Here is how artillery forces compare across the 24 militaries we track.

Three kinds of artillery

Global Firepower divides artillery into three categories:

  • Self-propelled artillery: guns mounted on tracked or wheeled vehicles that can move, fire and relocate quickly before the enemy fires back.
  • Towed artillery: guns pulled into position by trucks. Cheaper and simpler, but slower to move and more exposed.
  • Rocket artillery (multiple launch rocket systems): vehicles that fire salvos of rockets, from short-range unguided rockets to precision systems like the American HIMARS.

Self-propelled guns

Self-propelled artillery (Global Firepower 2026)
#CountrySelf-propelled artillery
1🇷🇺 Russia3,603
2🇨🇳 China2,940
3🇰🇷 South Korea2,780
4🇺🇸 United States1,521
5🇰🇵 North Korea1,300
6🇪🇬 Egypt1,056
7🇹🇷 Turkey1,045
8🇺🇦 Ukraine682
9🇵🇰 Pakistan662
10🇵🇱 Poland593
11🇹🇼 Taiwan488
12🇮🇷 Iran424

Russia (3,603) and China (2,940) lead. South Korea, with 2,780, is third, ahead of the United States. Its K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer has become one of the world’s best-selling artillery systems, bought by Poland, Finland, Norway, Australia, India and others.

Towed guns

Towed artillery (Global Firepower 2026)
#CountryTowed artillery
1🇷🇺 Russia5,920
2🇰🇷 South Korea5,800
3🇮🇳 India5,640
4🇵🇰 Pakistan2,629
5🇺🇸 United States1,878
6🇮🇷 Iran1,803
7🇨🇳 China1,400
8🇹🇼 Taiwan1,360
9🇪🇬 Egypt962
10🇰🇵 North Korea700
11🇹🇷 Turkey635
12🇺🇦 Ukraine625

Russia (5,920), South Korea (5,800) and India (5,640) have by far the largest towed artillery parks. India’s large holding reflects mountain warfare along its borders with Pakistan and China, where lighter guns are easier to move into position.

Rocket artillery

Rocket artillery (Global Firepower 2026)
#CountryRocket artillery
1🇨🇳 China2,770
2🇷🇺 Russia2,486
3🇺🇸 United States1,731
4🇮🇷 Iran1,550
5🇰🇵 North Korea1,500
6🇵🇰 Pakistan652
7🇪🇬 Egypt648
8🇰🇷 South Korea525
9🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia327
10🇮🇳 India300
11🇵🇱 Poland298
12🇺🇦 Ukraine288

China leads rocket artillery with 2,770 launchers, followed by Russia (2,486) and the United States (1,731). Iran (1,550) and North Korea (1,500) both invest heavily in rockets, which are cheap to produce and can deliver a lot of firepower quickly. North Korea’s long-range rocket launchers near the border are a key reason Seoul is considered vulnerable to bombardment.

All artillery combined

Add the three categories together and Russia leads with about 12,000 artillery systems, followed by South Korea (about 9,100), China (about 7,100), India (about 6,000) and the United States (about 5,100).

South Korea’s position surprises many readers, but it makes sense: its army faces one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world, and massed artillery is central to its plans for defending against, and responding to, an attack from the North.

Shells matter as much as guns

Counting launchers says nothing about ammunition, which has proved to be the real bottleneck in Ukraine. Western countries discovered after 2022 that their factories could produce only a fraction of the shells needed for a sustained war, and have since been racing to expand production. A country’s ability to manufacture shells and rockets at scale may matter more than the number of guns it owns.

See how artillery forces compare head to head in Russia vs Ukraine or North Korea vs South Korea.