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These guns had suffered from the effects of prolonged storage, making their revival a formidable challenge. The extent of refur- bishment required meticulous attention to detail to ensure they could return to combat readiness. The team’s expertise in artillery operations, maintenance, and logistics played a pivotal role. This included comprehensive inspections, maintenance, and rigorous testing to guarantee that the Ukrainian forces would be able to operate these platforms effectively.
The undertaking came with its own set of physical demands. The team had to endure long hours and weekends, often work- ing in intense heat within hangars with temperatures exceed- ing 30 degrees Celsius. The scarcity of workforce and essential resources posed significant challenges, requiring innovative solutions and unwavering dedication to ensure the successful preparation of these artillery platforms completed within a tight timeline of just four weeks.
Despite the physical and logistical challenges, the team remained determined and focused on the bigger picture. They understood that their efforts served a crucial purpose, one that would signifi- cantly enhance Ukraine’s capabilities and their ability to respond to a wide range of threats.
In the annals of history, the decision by the British Army to pro- vide unwavering support to Ukraine through the deployment of
An extremely rusted on fume extractor, that took over an hour to get loose
1 RHA AS90 self-propelled howitzers will be remembered as a defining moment and a testament to the enduring values of soli- darity, commitment, and unity in the face of adversity.
This support, deeply rooted in the shared history of the British Army and Ukraine, not only bolsters Ukraine’s defence capabili- ties but also reinforces the profound bond between nations. The AS90 self-propelled howitzer, a symbol of strength and deter- rence, adds a formidable defensive asset to Ukraine’s arsenal. It stands as a guardian against the looming shadow of Russian- backed aggression, furthering regional stability within Eastern Europe.
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Exercise Cypher Sharpen 23 Sgt McGrath OHQ BTY
Exercise Cypher Sharpen was a good opportunity for both the Chestnut Troop and OHQ Battery to have a good shake out while E Battery and B Battery are currently
part of Op CABRIT cycle.
The Chestnut Troop Deployed out onto to Salisbury plain train- ing area (SPTA) to conduct some Battle craft syllabus training which included low-level field lessons which allowed the Bat- tery to learn and revise new skills as a collective which will stand them in good stead when they start their pre deploy- ment training with 5 Rifles Battlegroup for their upcoming deployment on OP CABRIT.
Once Deployed out onto SPTA for two nights the Chestnut troop conducted lessons which included Harbour area drills, Camouflage and Concealment, as well as other field lessons lead by the JNCOs all this was followed by both a day and night nav ex.
The Chestnut Troop Fire Support Team conducted some addi- tional training to enhance their capabilities and bring on the more junior members of their troop. This included some time spent in in the new JFST facility going through all the different types of Fire Missions in slow time before progressing to more complex missions to test all the FST commanders and their Acks all under the watchful eye of the BC’s ack Sgt Kelshaw.
Bombardiers Kirk and Cottrell set up the FC Bisa suite and gave a full range of lessons all the way from set up to full fire
missions. These lessons were in continuation from the skills learned on Ex Warfighter earlier in the year and will be useful to their detachments when they deploy on the Ex-Scorpion Cyclone.
Bogues Troop in OHQ Battery used their time on Cypher Sharpen productively by conducting several classroom-based lessons that included an introduction to OSW, Met and Regis- tration as well as survey plans and Resource allocations.
The troop then moved on to how the FDC would set up and conduct Regimental Fire missions such as Regimental Coor- dinated illumination and Regimental smoke missions.
These lessons were then put into practice when Bogues Troop as well as the Command post from Chestnuts carried out a full plug up of their comms equipment which was then followed by a Command post Exercise (CPX) which enabled soldiers of both batteries the chance to see what these Lessons would look and feel like in real time. This CPX also included members of the Quarter master technical dept lead by Bdr Milsom who had their Ammunition Control Point Bisa set up to track the rounds being used in real time.
All the training both in the field and in the classroom proved to be both fun and interesting and will give the soldiers deploying on either operations or on future exercises a big confidence boost in their abilities to get the job done to an extremely high standard.
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