The 'Tiny' British Field Gun That Made The Taliban Name It A Dragon And Fear It For A Decade

For nearly fifty years, one British field gun has fought in almost every war the UK has fought, and in Afghanistan the Taliban called it "the Dragon." This is the L118 105mm Light Gun, Britain's longest continuously serving artillery piece. Built light enough for a Chinook to carry, it entered service in 1976. In 1982 it broke Argentine positions at Goose Green, Mount Longdon and Wireless Ridge, with gunners firing up to 400 rounds per gun a day in the final battles for Port Stanley. At Musa Qala in 2009, gunners of 8 (Alma) Commando Battery hauled one onto a 40 metre cliff. Major James Vigne called it "the most feared weapon" the Taliban faced, hitting targets at 3 kilometers within seconds. Since 2022 it has fought again in Ukraine against Russia, prized for its mobility and accuracy. Licensed abroad as the American M119 and the Australian Hamel Gun, it fires out to 17.2 kilometers, can be in action in 30 seconds, and stays in British service until March 2030. PRODUCTION CREDIT: Designed by the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment and built by the Royal Ordnance Factory, Nottingham. More than 1,000 guns have been built across the L118, L119 and licensed M119 family worldwide. Subscribe for a new military documentary every day. #L118 #FalklandsWar #RoyalArtillery #MilitaryHistory #BritishArmy