Royal Thai Army takes delivery of Nexter LG1 Mk.III 105mm howitzers.

According to Defense Studies on February 2, United Defense Technology, the Thai distributor of Nexter (France), has released pictures taken on January 11, 2023, of the delivery of the first 105mm LG1 Mk.III towed light gun, 6 systems out of 12 systems for the Royal Thai Army that has arrived in Thailand.
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6 out of 12 Nexter LG1 Mk.III 105mm howitzers are intended for the 11th Artillery Battalion, 1st Artillery Regiment, 1st Division, Royal Guard, Royal Thai Army (RTA) (Picture source: United Defense Technology)

The new LG1 Mk.III towed light gun is expected to enter service in the 11th Artillery Battalion, 1st Artillery Regiment, King's Guard, 1st Brigade, which is a 105mm light field artillery unit. The towing vehicle is a new Land Rover Defender.

The project to purchase 105mm towed projectile artillery, by a specific method, in the amount of 834,400,000 baht ($ 26,722,194 or 22,677,763 Euros) will replace the old 105mm towed howitzer that has been long used and obsolete in part. According to the military balance 2020, the Thai army is equipped with 24 LG1 Mk.II 105mm towed howitzers. The gun is also used by the Royal Thai Marine Corps Army Recognition on January 2, 2021, published the news of the order placed with Nexter.

The new Land Rover Defender is the vehicle selected to tow the LG1 Mk.III 105mm howitzer (Picture source: United Defense Technology)

The LG1 howitzer itself has been operated since the 1990s. The Mark III is the latest digitized variant, benefiting from a firing solutions computer and an INS/GPS positioning system. The Topaz system used by the Polish artillery units may be integrated into Nexter’s LG1.

The manufacturer suggests that the design can withstand more than 20 years of service and its endurance, without failure, is defined as 1,500 shots. Meanwhile, the barrel offers EFC life of up to 7,000 shots. Legacy models of the gun are operated by the French, Belgian and Canadian armies and five non-NATO states all around the world. They are used by air-mobile units primarily, or by light infantry units that are forced to work in rough terrain conditions.

Nexter 105 LG1 Light Gun Mark.III at DSA 2018 in Malaysia (Picture source: Army Recognition)