Arctic Training Enhances Allied Fires Readiness

U.S. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Field Artillery Brigade recently completed critical training during Joint Viking 25, a Norwegian-led, multinational exercise focused on Arctic readiness and NATO interoperability. The exercise enabled troops to refine their long-range precision fires capabilities while operating in extreme cold-weather conditions.

Soldiers deployed M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems from Germany to Norway, conducting live-fire missions and training in snow-covered terrain. The event emphasized seamless integration with allied forces using the ASCA protocol, which connects fire direction systems across NATO partners for coordinated missions.

“Our mission during Joint Viking was to show that we can expeditiously deploy to the Arctic Circle in support of the Norwegian Army and effectively deliver long-range fires,” said Capt. Leone Phuong, commander of Charlie Battery, 1-6 FAR. “Joint Viking was the perfect opportunity for us to conduct actual arctic operations, face suboptimal temperatures and conditions, and actually see the terrain that we would operate in within the Arctic Circle.”