2-15 Field Artillery Wins Award for Afghan Deployment

A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division won the Henry A. Knox award. The U.S. Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma recognizes the best active-duty artillery battery in the Army with the award. During their nine-month deployment to Paktika province, Afghanistan in 2013 the Soldiers performed with distinction as a Security Force Assistance Advisory Team (SFAAT) and provided artillery fires in support of maneuver operations. The SFAAT Red 1 Team provided advisory assistance to Afghan National Army artillery units in the employment of the Afghan 122-mm D-30 Howitzers.

Afghanistan Seeks Military Equipment Upgrades

Afghanistan is seeking additional military hardware and equipment for its army. A recent visit to India by President Karzai highlighted the need for additional equipment and more training for the Afghan National Army (ANA). Some specific needs articulated by the Afghans include additional artillery such as the 122-mm D-30 Howitzer, helicopters and ISR platforms for the Afghan Air Force, and tanks. The United States is providing funding and equipment for the ANA but the "want" list of the Afghans does not always match up with the "give" list of the United States.One problem with the providing of advanced equipment is that the Afghan National Security Forces have a low literacy rate and high turnover making it difficult for the ANSF to train and retain qualified operators and maintainers.

Regional Artillery Training Center Opens in Zabul

The 205th Corps in RC South recently opened its Regional Artillery Training Center in Zabul province. The training site is located at Camp Eagle and will offer training in all areas of field artillery. The main gun of the Afghan National Army is the 122mm D-30 Howitzer. Read more in "First artillery training center unveiled in Afghanistan", DVIDS, January 3, 2014.

ANA Improves on Their Skills with Artillery Employment

The Afghan National Army (ANA) is slowly improving in their ability to employ their organic artillery (D-30 howitzer). This steady improvement can be seen in 1st Brigade 201st ANA Corps in the North of Kabul (NoK) region of Regional Command East. The process of fielding the 122-mm D-30 howitzers started very late considering the U.S. involvement in the Afghan war has been going on for the last decade; however within the last year much progress has been made. The ANA brigades are slowly coming up to speed on their ability to fire the artillery and are now integrating artillery fires plans into their overall operations. Members of 4th Brigade Combat Team 1st Cavalry Division (based at FOB Gamberi) have been mentoring the Afghans in artillery employment for the last several months. 4-1 CD deployed several months ago as a Security Force Assistance Brigade or SFAB. Read more in a news release by 4/1 CD public affairs entitled "ANA shoots to sustainable success", DVIDS, March 12, 2013.

Afghan Artillery Becoming More Important

U.S. Army photo by SFC Pinnington

With the stepping back of U.S. forces from combat operations in Afghanistan the Afghan security forces are conducting more and more combat operations on its own. U.S. forces used to "partner" with the Afghan National Army (ANA) in the past - conducting joint operations and relying primarily on U.S. UAV, ISR, MEDEVAC, CAS, and fires support. Now that the Afghans are in the lead much of this support is fading away - fast. With the withdrawal of U.S. air assets and artillery units from Afghanistan the ANA will find itself relying more and more on it's own artillery assets - primarily the ANA 122-mm D-30 howitzer found at brigade level in its Combat Support kandak.

There is much concern about the reliance of the ANA on its own artillery units. Many of the ANA brigades still have not been fielded their D-30s (even though we have been building up the ANA since 2002). Those units that do have the D-30s are in the very beginning of their training program and still rely heavily on ISAF advisor assistance for fires deconfliction and targeting processes.

A recent new article on Danger Room of Wired.com by Spencer Ackerman captures the concerns of the newly minted Afghan artillery units in "Coming This Year to Afghanistan: Way More Artillery Strikes", January 23, 2013.

Afghan Artillery Students Train on 122mm Howitzer

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael James

The Artillery School at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) recently took to the field to conduct a live fire gunnery exercise.  The students fired the 122mm howitzer.  Upon receipt of further training and graduation the artillery students will be assigned to the 205th Corps as fully qualified gunners.  Read more in "Live Fire Exercise demonstrates artillery school's capabilities", NTM-A, December 29, 2010.

High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Being Used in Afghanistan

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) of the U.S. Army is being used in Afghanistan in the Kandahar area.  Supposedly it is being used to great effect.  The long-distance and accurate rocket system can hit targets up to one hundred miles away.  Read more on the HIMARS in "Did a New Rocket Help Rout the Taliban?", Wired Danger Room, October 21, 2010.