NATO Exercise Dynamic Front:Massive Artillery Drills Commence Soon in Finland

U.S. Army 56th Artillery Command will exercise the largest NATO and Partner-focused integration exercise on the European continent.Dynamic Front will be hosted by Finland in the city of Rovaniemi near the Arctic Circle from 4-24 November 2024.It is the first time Finland has hosted a military exercise of this calibre since joining NATO in 2023.Additional training and live-fire locations include Estonia,Germany,Poland and Romania.DF will include more than 5,000 U.S. and multinational service members from 21 Allied and Partner nations:Brazil,Bulgaria,Canada,Croatia,Czechia,Estonia,Finland,France,Georgia,Germany,Greece,Hungary,Italy,Kosovo,Latvia,Lithuania,North Macedonia,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Slovakia,Spain,Sweden,Switzerland,Turkey,the UK and the US.*Said MG John Rafferty,commanding general of U.S. Army 56th Artillery Command:The 56th Artillery Command is proud to lead Dynamic Front with 28 NATO and Partner nations.Dynamic Front is an artillery,interoperabilty and multidomain exercise focused on warfighting and informed by NATO regional plans.The exercise will stretch from Finland in the North to Romania in the South and will include artillery,air and naval gunfire across 130 different weapon systems.We are particularly excited to announce that Finland is hosting Dynamic Front,their first time hosting an exercise of this magnitude since joining the NATO Alliance.*DF continues the development and integration of the Artillery Systems Cooperation Association network (ASCA)-enabling any sensor to provide fires data to any shooter.Major participating organisations include:U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAEUR-AF);U.S. Army 56th Artillery Command;U.S. Army V Corps;U.S. Army 21st Theater Sustainment Command;U.S. Army 41st Artillery Brigade;U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division;U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division;U.S. Army 4th Security Assistance Forces Brigade;U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division;the Finnish Army;NATO Multinational Division Northeast;and NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.*The city of Rovaniemi (pronounced Roh-vahn-yea-mi) has a population of 65,000 and 69,000 in the metropolitan area.It is the capital of Finland's Lapland Province and markets itself as the home of Santa Claus.

Immediate Response 24:Complex Drills Develop Warfighting Acumen

According to a press release by U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAEA),on 30 April 2024,around 1600 U.S. Army Soldiers and more than 200 pieces of their equipment started a 900 km/559.2 mi tactical road march from Narvik,Norway to Rovajarvi,Finland,marking the commencement of Exercise Immediate Response 24.Transiting through Norway,Sweden and Finland,troops from 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Johnson,Louisiana traveled to Finland to conduct multinational drills as part of Immediate Response 24,the Finnish national exercise Northern Forest 24,and NATO's Steadfast Defender.Said MG Greg Anderson,commanding general of 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry):The 10th Mountain Division's storied past shows a proud connection with the Finnish Army and this region.We are eager and excited to be able to train and learn from our Nordic Allies,and look forward to developing joint and combined warfighting excellence and capabilities,both today and in the years to come.*Immediate Response ran through 31 May 2024,involving more than 10,400 U.S. service members from more than 12 Allied and Partner nations.Finland's Northern Forest 24 ran from 26 May to 31 May 2024.Said LTG Pasi Valinaki,commander Finnish Army:It's a valuable training opportunity to be able to connect Immediate Response 24 to the Finnish Army's Northern Forest 24 exercise.A successful logistical exercise through Norway and Sweden,as well as logisitical support by the Finnish Defence Force's Logistics Command,is proof of our collective ability to receive transatlantic reinforcement of Allied troops and the ability of NATO to project land power anytime,anywhere.Furthermore,training with 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a logical step in developing a relationship with 10th Mountain Division.This exercise further develops our combined warfighting capabilities in the North.*The tactical road march represents a milestone moment for the drills with NATO's newest members,Sweden and Finland,as well as several firsts,including the use of seaports in Narvik and Kalundborg;a rail guage change;and the deployment of a light Brigade Combat Team in the Nordic Region.*Immediate Response 24,one of three subexercises of DEFENDER 24,includes the deployment of continental U.S.-based forces;Army prepositioned stock draws;live-fire drills;wet gap crossings;and interoperability training with Allies and Partners in Czechia,Estonia,Finland,Germany,Norway,Poland and Sweden.