Wiesbaden, Germany —
U.S. Army Europe and Africa is conducting a series of field artillery exercises called Fires Shock from May 2 to June 19, 2021, to exercise the rapid deployment of long-range precision fires and joint forcible entry fires across two continents from the Baltics to Black Sea, and from the Arctic to North Africa.
The 41st Field Artillery Brigade will take part in Norwegian Exercise Thunderbolt, the final live fire of this series of exercises, in Setermoen, Norway, June 10, to conclude Fires Shock.
This will be the first time the 41st FAB fires in Norway since it reactivated in Grafenwoehr, Germany, in 2019; and the first time in over a quarter century that the U.S. Army will conduct a Multiple Launch Rocket System live fire in Norway.
Thunderbolt will include Norwegian Army Brigade North and Finnmark Land Component, as well U.S. Marines from 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
This type of training in the Arctic increases the Army’s ability to operate in extreme cold-weather, mountainous and high latitude environments and supports the Army’s Arctic strategy.
The 41st Field Artillery Brigade will be holding a media day event in conjunction with the Norwegian military June, 10 at the artillery range in Setermoen to show case the Joint multinational live fire event.
“I’m honored to conduct our fifth and final Fires Shock live fire exercise in the Arctic with our Norwegian Allies,” said Col. Daniel Miller, the 41st FAB commander. “This will be the first time we have conducted an MLRS live fire this far north, but in accordance with the Army’s Arctic Strategy I doubt it will be the last.”
Norwegian F-16s will work directly with 41st FAB using the Link-16 system to process precision targets. These exercises stress and demonstrate our resolve in securing national interests in the Arctic and our ability to command and control long-range fires across Europe and the Arctic, using a variety of networked and multi-domain communications platforms, to include observing and controlling joint fires from the land and the air.
“I´m satisfied that we´re able to integrate 41st Field Artillery Brigade in the Exercise Thunderbolt,” said Norwegian Army Commander Lieutenant General Lars Lervik. “Our cooperation increases NATO´s interoperability and secures our common interests.”
Fires Shock encompassed a series of field artillery exercises held across Europe and Africa. The first exercise was held in Estonia when the 41st FAB participated in Swift Response (May 1–7), then they joined artillery units from 13 Allies and Partners for live fires in Germany and Poland (May 2–24) as part of Dynamic Front 21, then conduct fires missions in Bulgaria as part of Saber Guardian 21 (June 2), next they will fire for the first time in Africa during exercise African Lion in Morocco (June 9), and finally they will participate in exercise Thunderbolt in Norway (June 1 – 14).
“In the past month and a half our 41st FAB Soldiers have bounced all across Europe and into Africa conducting long-range precision fires missions,” said Miller. “Throughout the Fires Shock exercises, we have proved our ability to expertly to plan, deploy and execute multiple missions simultaneously across the globe at the time and place of our choosing.”
The exercises will integrate COVID-19 mitigation measures to protect participants and host nation communities.
For more information about the 41st Field Artillery Brigade visit www.41fab.army.mil.
Find more information on DEFENDER-Europe 21 at www.EuropeAfrica.army.mil/DefenderEurope.
For more information or media content please contact the 41st FAB Public Affairs Officer Maj. Joe Bush at joseph.l.bush.mil@mail.mil or visit the DVIDS site at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/41FAB.