British and allied forces work together on Steel Sabre artillery exercise 51103163

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Defence & Security News - United Kingdom
 
British and allied forces work together on Steel Sabre artillery exercise
The British Army has worked alongside its international allies on a large, live firing artillery exercise in Northumberland. Armed forces from around the world arrived at Otterburn Training Area for 1 Artillery Brigade’s annual gunnery camp.
     
The British Army has worked alongside its international allies on a large, live firing artillery exercise in Northumberland. Armed forces from around the world arrived at Otterburn Training Area for 1 Artillery Brigade’s annual gunnery camp. French CAESAR canons (Photographer Corporal Max Bryan; Crown copyright)
     
French soldiers worked alongside British artillery troops, firing their CAESAR truck-mounted 155mm guns. Danish, Estonian and even Australian soldiers have also played a part in the two-week training exercise named Steel Sabre. They were joined by pilots from the United States Air Force who provided simulated air support.

Chief of Staff at 1 Artillery Brigade, Major Nicholas Morton, said the exercise had helped develop interoperability, allowing the British Army to work more closely with foreign forces.

Major Morton said: “We are certainly on the road to interoperability with the French, Danish and Americans here – it’s all about understanding how we work in a multinational environment.

“We are becoming more comfortable with how we do our business together - we understand how they do it, they understand how we do it and we are working out how to do it together.

“The issue has always been how to talk to each other, but we are overcoming language barriers and can now co-ordinate heavily on joint firing exercises.”

The French Army has been involved in Steel Sabre in previous years but this time around they sent more weaponry – which Major Morton said was a “great advert” for the exercise.

Soldiers from 11e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (11e RAMa) drove from Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier, near Rennes, to Northumberland to fire a pair of 52-calibre guns.

They worked closely with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, with the British making a “call for fire,” which the French then acted upon.

Executive Officer Major Berthrand Maire, of 11e RAMa, said: “It has been interesting to do a live firing artillery manoeuvre with our friends in the British Army.

“We have developed interoperability and improved our procedures by working together.”