The British army's Archer mobile howitzer launches an artillery round during exercise Dynamic Front at the Rovajarvi training area in Finland on Nov. 18, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
ROVANIEMI, Finland — U.S. soldiers are firing away north of the Arctic Circle this week as Finland hosts the largest NATO artillery exercise in Europe for the first time since joining the alliance last year.
The U.S. Army is training with 27 other nations for Dynamic Front, a 20-day exercise that spans the alliance’s eastern flank with Russia, to include sites in Estonia, Germany, Poland and Romania.
The portion of the exercise hosted at the Rovajarvi training area by Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, comes as tensions are rising in the region. On Monday, undersea communication cables between Germany and Finland were severed, sparking concerns about potential Russian sabotage.
“The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times … Our European security is not only under threat from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors,” the German and Finnish foreign ministries said in a joint statement.
An M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System belonging to the U.S. Army's 41st Field Artillery Brigade fires its first round during exercise Dynamic Front at the Rovajarvi training area in Finland on Nov. 17, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers from the 41st Field Artillery Brigade prepare to fire the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System during exercise Dynamic Front at the Rovajarvi training area in Finland on Nov. 17, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
A Finnish army K9 howitzer fires live artillery rounds during exercise Dynamic Front at the Rovajarvi training area in Finland on Nov. 18, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Such concerns about Russian aggression have been the impetus for expanded NATO training missions on the eastern flank and the driver of a broader U.S. Army buildup in Europe over the past several years.
Among the most significant advances for the Army has been the addition of artillery units to the Europe-based force mix, something that had been lacking after years of troop reductions.
Dynamic Front showcases an array of advanced artillery systems from NATO forces, including the U.S. Army’s M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System, which some units based in Grafenwoehr, Germany, acquired months ago as an upgrade.
The U.K.’s Archer mobile howitzer and Finland’s self-propelled K9 howitzer also have been active this week. Finland has the second-largest artillery capability in Europe after Poland and is planning to catch up, Finnish army Col. Janne Makitalo, the exercise coordinator, said in a mission brief Monday.
“Artillery is basically the king and queen of the battlefield as we have seen from the experience of combat in Ukraine,” Makitalo said.
“It presents lots of firepower because of the intelligence systems and the central development of sensors and reconnaissance drones. … Everything can be seen at the moment in the battlefield and what can be seen … can be targeted,” Makitalo added.
U.S. Army Maj. Joe Bush, a public affairs officer for V Corps, observes a night artillery fire with the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System near Rovaniemi, Finland, on Nov. 17, 2024. With temperatures below freezing, soldiers are adapting their training and systems. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
The U.S. Army puts its M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System to the test in Finland's challenging terrain with an evening live artillery fire during exercise Dynamic Front on Nov. 17, 2024, near Rovaniemi, Finland. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
U.S. 41st Field Artillery Brigade soldiers prepare to fire the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System during exercise Dynamic Front at the Rovajarvi training area in Finland on Nov. 17, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Operating in the Arctic has provided NATO members with opportunities to navigate mountainous, icy terrain.
The Army’s 41st Field Artillery Brigade last trained in Finland in May 2023, when it wasn’t as cold and snowy as it is now.
“Even if we’ve been here before, (it’s) new terrain to train with and get used to,” said Sgt. Caleb Jackson, a section chief with 1st Battalion 6th Field Artillery Regiment in an interview on Sunday.
The change in location wards off complacency, said brigade commander Col. Frank Maxwell.
“This is just a good opportunity for us to … see ourselves, see our blind spots as we get off of Grafenwoehr and come up to Finland,” Maxwell said.
NATO nations also are testing a unified network that connects the disparate firing units, with the aim of streamlining communication and coordination.
Dynamic Front began Nov. 4 in other locations. It will feature increased live-fire artillery exercises through Thursday, with anti-tank operations continuing into next week.
