Baltic Fleet Coast Artillery Holds Encampment Drills

16.08.2012 Baltic Fleet (BF) coast artillery is carrying out encampment exercise which is to last till the end of Sept 2012. Over 300 servicemen and about 50 combat vehicles are involved in the drills at the Pavenkovo Range.

Through the next two months, BF gunmen will perform over 100 firing tasks with practical use of Giatsint artillery systems, Grad multiple launch rocket systems, Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers, and mortars.

Main purpose of the exercise is phased team building, improvement of personnel combat skills and commanders' ability to control fire in offensive and defensive operations.

Gunmen pass all stages of combat training, beginning from individual drills up to group firing practice. Tactical fire control exercise will be held in Sept, being an apogee of the whole artillery encampment.

BF Coast Defense Force command places great emphasis on the training of junior-grade commanders, since their competence and professionalism largely affect skillful actions of private personnel. Half of the servicemen participating in the field exercise are young men drafted in the spring 2012.

According to BF artillery division Col Vladimir Krivoschapov, intensive combat training activities will help to prepare battle-worthy artillery crews in short terms, as well as to inculcate good firing skills in them.