Photo By Sgt. Marquis McCants | U.S. Army soldiers with Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment,...... read more read more
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CAMP ADAZI, Latvia - The ranges of Camp Adazi echoed with the sound of coordinated artillery fire as U.S., Canadian, and Spanish forces conducted a combined live fire exercise to strengthen NATO interoperability and joint readiness.
Bringing together artillery units from three NATO allies, the exercise focused on executing synchronized fires across a shared battlespace, a task that requires technical prowess, communication, and trust.
“This was a multinational arms call for fire,” said Cpl. Gallagher of Canada’s South Alberta Light Horse T5 Alpha Squadron. “Hearing the radio calls from each nation coordinating the mission and seeing the effects downrange, it was sharp.”
While each country brought its own systems and procedures, the goal was to operate effortlessly together. Spanish Liaison Officer Lt. Marco described efforts to integrate Canadian Talos and American Apache fire control systems.
“The mission was to conduct a regimental fire mission with Canadian, American, and Spanish batteries firing with a foreign forward observer,” Marco said. “It was a complete success.”
The exercise also helped participating units understand one another’s equipment and capabilities. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kyle Laborde, howitzer section chief with Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery, echoed that sentiment.
“Our job is to deliver timely, effective fires,” Laborde said. “Exercises like this build bonds and show that allied forces are ready wherever the fight takes us.”
Getting to that level of coordination was challenging. The communication systems didn’t always cooperate, and the teams had to adapt.
“Most of our coordination was voice-based, over the radio,” explained U.S. Army Sgt. Jordan Figgins with Alpha Battery, 1st Bn., 141st Field Artillery. “We made it work by setting time aside to learn each other’s systems and approaches.”
Despite those challenges, the units achieved synchronized fires across the range proving that when NATO forces train together, they become stronger together.
“Coming together on a common goal drives progress,” said Figgins. “That’s how you build a real team.”
As the last rounds landed and the smoke cleared, one important lesson was clear: NATO’s strength doesn’t just come from firepower, it comes from unity.
| Date Taken: | 07.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2025 10:27 |
| Story ID: | 544659 |
| Location: | LV |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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