Soldiers from the 19th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Scottish Gunners) and 5th Regiment Royal Artillery are currently in Lapland as part of Exercise Dynamic Front, the largest joint-fires artillery training event conducted by NATO in Finland since the country became a member of the alliance in 2023.
19th Regiment Royal Artillery will be firing the new Archer artillery 155mm system for the first time on exercise in a tactical environment, with 5th Regiment Royal Artillery also operating the new Taipan radar system for the first time on exercise.
Major Mortimer, of 19 Rgt RA, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our modernised artillery capability in front of all our Nato partners and alongside their guns, like the French Caesar, the Swedish Archer, the Finnish K9 and the American MLRS.”
19 Rgt RA forms part of 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team and specialises in fixing the enemy in one place with firepower so they can be attacked and defeated by the armoured formations that they support.
5th Rgt RA is also part of 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team and is the British Army’s only Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, providing specialist weapon locating and counter-fires capabilities.
The Swedish-made Archer 155mm self-propelled guns were acquired by the British Army as an interim replacement for the 32 AS90s which the UK donated to Ukraine in its war with Russia. The Archer system consists of an automated 155mm 52-calibre gun mounted on a 6×6 articulated hauler.
The Taipan radar system is a next-generation artillery hunting radar system developed by Saab. It offers rapid deployment and re-deployment, high operational mobility, and precise counter-battery operations. It can locate enemy artillery at greater ranges with enhanced accuracy and has a low electronic warfare signature.
Major Mortimer said: “The Archer represents a switch from a tracked self-propelled gun to a wheeled self-propelled gun and rather than using, what we would call, dumb high-explosive rounds.”
“The future is about firing smart munitions which increases our lethality with anti-armour munitions and extended-range munitions.”
“It’s very exciting to be firing Archer for the first time here in Finland, along with the first Taipan live acquisitions here on Exercise Dynamic Front.”
“It shows our Nato partners we’re a modernising artillery and continually advancing.”
Exercise Dynamic Front involves more than 5,000 NATO soldiers from 28 countries.
