Gunnery

Gunnery is the discipline concerned with aiming, firing, and ranges of projectile weapons. It covers the techniques used to direct guns at targets and to predict trajectories under varying conditions. In military usage, gunnery spans artillery, naval gunfire, coastal and anti-aircraft batteries, and the gun systems deployed on armored platforms.

From early powder-loaded cannon of the late Middle Ages to rifled artillery and precision fire in modern eras, gunnery evolved with advances in ballistics, sighting, and fire control. Naval gunnery matured with the line of battle and rangefinding; the 20th century brought mechanical directors, calculators, radar, and later digital fire-control computers. Contemporary gunnery integrates automated sensors, stabilization, and networked targeting.

Key concepts include trajectory prediction, measurements of range and bearing, and compensation for environmental factors such as wind, temperature, and altitude. Gunners also account for weapon characteristics, barrel wear, and muzzle velocity when selecting ammunition and fire settings. Fire-control systems convert observations into aimed fire, often coordinating multiple guns to deliver synchronized salvos.

Equipment and methods used in gunnery include rangefinders and sighting devices, ballistic tables or computers, director and fire-control systems, stabilizing mounts, and fire-control networks. Modern platforms rely on computerized ballistic computation, radar or infrared sensing, and automated load and cross-communication between sensors and weapons.

Training and standards ensure proficiency and safety. Each service maintains gunnery schools and exercises, ranging from simulated drills to live-fire tests. Exercises assess accuracy, coordination, rate of fire, and target acquisition, while safety protocols govern ammunition handling, range discipline, and risk management.