Editing Artillery (section)

==Artillery piece==
[[File: French soldiers in the Franco-Prussian War 1870-71.jpg|thumb|right|French soldiers in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] 1870–71]]
[[File: British 64 Pounder Rifled Muzzle-Loaded (RML) Gun on Moncrieff disappearing mount, at Scaur Hill Fort, Bermuda.jpg|thumb|British 64 Pounder Rifled Muzzle-Loaded (RML) Gun on a Moncrieff disappearing mount, at Scaur Hill Fort, Bermuda. This is a part of a fixed battery, meant to protect against over-land attack and to serve as coastal artillery.]]
Although not called by that name, siege engines performing the role recognizable as artillery have been employed in warfare since antiquity. The first known [[catapult]] was developed in [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] in 399 BC.<ref>{{cite book|title = The Catapult: A History|first = Tracey Elizabeth|last = Rihll|date = 2007|publisher = Westholme Publishing|isbn = 9781594160356}}</ref> Until the introduction of [[gunpowder]] into western warfare, artillery was dependent upon mechanical energy, which not only severely limited the kinetic energy of the projectiles, but also required the construction of very large engines to accumulate sufficient energy. A 1st-century BC Roman catapult launching {{cvt|6.55|kg|lb}} stones achieved a kinetic energy of 16 [[Joule#Kilojoule|kilojoules]], compared to a mid-19th-century [[12-pounder gun]], which fired a {{cvt |4.1|kg|lb}} round, with a kinetic energy of 240 kilojoules, or a 20th-century US battleship that fired a {{cvt|1225|kg|lb}} projectile from its main battery with an energy level surpassing 350 [[Joule#Megajoule|megajoules]].

From the [[Middle Ages]] through most of the [[modern era]], [[Cannon|artillery pieces]] on land were moved by [[Horse-drawn vehicle|horse-drawn]] [[gun carriage]]s. In the [[Contemporary history|contemporary era]], artillery pieces and their crew relied on [[Motor vehicle|wheeled]] or [[tracked vehicle]]s as transportation. These land versions of artillery were dwarfed by [[railway gun]]s; the largest of these [[large-calibre artillery|large-calibre guns]] ever conceived – [[Project Babylon]] of the [[Supergun affair]] – was theoretically capable of [[Space gun|putting a satellite into orbit]]. Artillery used by naval forces has also changed significantly, with [[missile]]s generally replacing guns in [[surface warfare]].

Over the course of military history, projectiles were manufactured from a wide variety of materials, into a wide variety of shapes, using many different methods in which to [[Targeting (warfare)|target]] structural/defensive works and inflict enemy [[Casualty (person)|casualties]]. The engineering applications for [[Ammunition#Artillery|ordnance]] delivery have likewise changed significantly over time, encompassing some of the most complex and advanced technologies in use today.

In some armies, the weapon of artillery is the projectile, not the equipment that fires it. The process of delivering fire onto the target is called gunnery. The actions involved in operating an artillery piece are collectively called "serving the gun" by the "detachment" or gun crew, constituting either direct or indirect artillery fire. The manner in which gunnery crews (or formations) are employed is called artillery support. At different periods in history, this may refer to weapons designed to be fired from ground-, sea-, and even air-based [[weapons platform]]s.