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Subject: My boys at work - Charlie Battery 1-321 AFAR
ArtyEngineer    4/7/2009 4:47:28 PM
Who needs spies these days when we got youtube!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/v/8JDOQC6dKO4&hl=en&fs=1">http://www.youtube.com/v/8JDOQC6dKO4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344">
 
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ArtyEngineer    Same FOB, previous residents   4/11/2009 8:12:08 PM
Here is the same FOB, this time its they provious unit, 3-321 FAR.  Not sure which battery.
 
 
http://www.youtube.com/v/4Y98-UfvEmQ&hl=en&fs=1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always">
 
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ArtyEngineer    Slideshow embed test   4/11/2009 8:51:48 PM
Below is hopefully a Photobucket Slideshow of some nice pics!!!
 
 
http://w283.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/M777A2/WEB PICS/027b0386.pbw" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent">http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" />http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" />
 
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ArtyEngineer    Second Attempt   4/12/2009 12:07:42 PM
http://w283.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/M777A2/WEB PICS/027b0386.pbw" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent">http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" />http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" />
 
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Herald12345    Two questions.......   4/12/2009 1:24:09 PM
Who picked that site?  That firing elevation seems almost 65-70 degrees to clear the surrounding hills: which brings me back to that second question.....Who surveyed them in there?
 
Herald
 
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ArtyEngineer    Herald   4/12/2009 5:10:31 PM

Who picked that site?  That firing elevation seems almost 65-70 degrees to clear the surrounding hills: which brings me back to that second question.....Who surveyed them in there?

 

Herald



 
Most of these FOB's have been established for several years now and were initially chosen for their "Defensability" in what to this day remains largely "Hostile" surroundings.  Something to note also is that originally most did not have Artillery positioned there simply due to the fact that the high altitude meant getting the previous 155mm howitzer (the M198 weighing in at 16,500lbs) was extremely difficult.  As the need for 24/7 Indirect Fire Support was identified many FOBS had the M119 (105mm Howitzer) Airlifted in and these FOB's became true Fire Bases to support activities in that area, as regardless of what the various Airforces engaged over there say CAS is not always available when the Troops in Contact need it.  However the 105mm howitzer just didnt have the range needed.  It was also discovered that the continuous need to shoot high angle with top zone charge was puttign a serious strain on these howitzers, specifically the Fire Control and Recoil Systems.  With the fielding of the M777A2 the US and Canadian Forces now had a 155mm howitzer they could position in these FOB's
Your estimation of the elevation (In the artillery world we call it "Quadrant) is spot on!!!!!  However the need to fire this trajectory is in many cases dictated by the terrain at the receiving end.  Even when there is no intervening crest on the Azimuth of Fire at the FOB, the valleys etc where the Call for Fire originates can only be hit by using the high angle trajectory to drop rounds with a very steep angle of fall down into it!!!!
 
Regarding Survey, all artillery units have survey skilled folks indegenous to them who can use teh sun the moon and the stars to determing accurate locations and directions to support their firing units, however the nice thing about teh M777A2 is that its onboard GPS Aided Inertial Naviagtion and Pointing system means survey is no longer truelly needed......except when teh Digital System craps out and you have to go back to "Clockwork Gunnery" ;)   Which I am glad to say people are still maintaining proficiency at.
 
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ArtyEngineer    One final attempt to get this damn Photobucket slideshow to embed correctly   4/12/2009 5:27:51 PM



http://w283.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/M777A2/WEB PICS/027b0386.pbw" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent">


It looks fine in both Preview and Normal modes!!!!

 
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Herald12345    Thank you, AE.   4/12/2009 9:56:15 PM




Who picked that site?  That firing elevation seems almost 65-70 degrees to clear the surrounding hills: which brings me back to that second question.....Who surveyed them in there?



 



Herald









 

Most of these FOB's have been established for several years now and were initially chosen for their "Defensability" in what to this day remains largely "Hostile" surroundings.  Something to note also is that originally most did not have Artillery positioned there simply due to the fact that the high altitude meant getting the previous 155mm howitzer (the M198 weighing in at 16,500lbs) was extremely difficult.  As the need for 24/7 Indirect Fire Support was identified many FOBS had the M119 (105mm Howitzer) Airlifted in and these FOB's became true Fire Bases to support activities in that area, as regardless of what the various Airforces engaged over there say CAS is not always available when the Troops in Contact need it.  However the 105mm howitzer just didnt have the range needed.  It was also discovered that the continuous need to shoot high angle with top zone charge was puttign a serious strain on these howitzers, specifically the Fire Control and Recoil Systems.  With the fielding of the M777A2 the US and Canadian Forces now had a 155mm howitzer they could position in these FOB's


Your estimation of the elevation (In the artillery world we call it "Quadrant) is spot on!!!!!  However the need to fire this trajectory is in many cases dictated by the terrain at the receiving end.  Even when there is no intervening crest on the Azimuth of Fire at the FOB, the valleys etc where the Call for Fire originates can only be hit by using the high angle trajectory to drop rounds with a very steep angle of fall down into it!!!!

 

Regarding Survey, all artillery units have survey skilled folks indegenous to them who can use teh sun the moon and the stars to determing accurate locations and directions to support their firing units, however the nice thing about teh M777A2 is that its onboard GPS Aided Inertial Naviagtion and Pointing system means survey is no longer truelly needed......except when teh Digital System craps out and you have to go back to "Clockwork Gunnery" ;)   Which I am glad to say people are still maintaining proficiency at.


I appreciate the lesson you gave me in on the ground truth. That fills in a little of that huge territory in my knowledge that I usually label as "I don't know."

Herald
 
 
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Carl S       4/25/2009 9:05:41 PM


Regarding Survey, all artillery units have survey skilled folks indegenous to them who can use teh sun the moon and the stars to determing accurate locations and directions to support their firing units, however the nice thing about teh M777A2 is that its onboard GPS Aided Inertial Naviagtion and Pointing system means survey is no longer truelly needed......except when teh Digital System craps out and you have to go back to "Clockwork Gunnery" ;)   Which I am glad to say people are still maintaining proficiency at.



Back in the mid to late 1990s the signals intel  people were up to tricks with the GPS, our comm, and the other accoutrements of modern digital warfare.  The scary part was most of my peers never considered that their systems were failing due to active interferance.  They blindly kept trying to trouble shoot the systems as if it were a local set up or operator problem..  My takehome leasson from that experince was that the US militarys networked Cmd & Control systems are a lot more vulnerable than most of us realized.  When I first entered the military in 1970s the large scale collapse of crtical sections of the C & C system was a regular part of training up through th divsion & beyond.  It is not clear to me that the military leaders of the past two decades still grasp this concept.
 
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ArtyEngineer    Carl S   4/26/2009 2:04:39 PM





Regarding Survey, all artillery units have survey skilled folks indegenous to them who can use teh sun the moon and the stars to determing accurate locations and directions to support their firing units, however the nice thing about teh M777A2 is that its onboard GPS Aided Inertial Naviagtion and Pointing system means survey is no longer truelly needed......except when teh Digital System craps out and you have to go back to "Clockwork Gunnery" ;)   Which I am glad to say people are still maintaining proficiency at.









Back in the mid to late 1990s the signals intel  people were up to tricks with the GPS, our comm, and the other accoutrements of modern digital warfare.  The scary part was most of my peers never considered that their systems were failing due to active interferance.  They blindly kept trying to trouble shoot the systems as if it were a local set up or operator problem..  My takehome leasson from that experince was that the US militarys networked Cmd & Control systems are a lot more vulnerable than most of us realized.  When I first entered the military in 1970s the large scale collapse of crtical sections of the C & C system was a regular part of training up through th divsion & beyond.  It is not clear to me that the military leaders of the past two decades still grasp this concept.
Nothing has changed!!!!!  However in my opinion the majority of problems really are setup and operator error!!!  We have just about cracked the code on establishing and maintaining digital comm between gunline, FDC and the "Hill", but as soon as we add Battalion and Regimental command elements it regularly turns to sh!t and valuable battery level training time is lost as we sit there bored out of our minds as the higher level command and control elements try to unf#ck themselves.  I got the 14th Marines Regimental training exercise coming up down at Ft Hood this summer and its going to be an absolute nightmare.  First time the regiment has been together in its entirety in 5 years, plus it now has HIMARS batterys as wells as M777A2's.  Not looking forward to it ;(  Im trying to lock on support from Raytheon and some of the "Big Brain" folks from the Program Office to come down to support as otherwise no valuable training will occur!!!!
Regards
 
Arty

 
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ArtyEngineer    Here is a chunk of an email recieved from down range   5/7/2009 1:56:56 AM
This is from a Batalion Commander, I have censored one little bit.
 
"We.....are just in a lead slinging contest with traditional CLV**.  The M777A2's are doing great.  The farthest our initial round in adjustment has been is (Censored) meters.  We are either a TGT hit with the first round or one correction and in to FFE.  Like I said before I was not a big believer in the M777A2: however, I am sold now.  Speed and accuracy cannot be matched by any other system in the inventory.....The other thing I need to mention is the gratitude that comes from the manoeuver forces when we fire for them.  I have never seen anything like it.  They come back from patrol, stop by the Firing PLT's and tell them how the guns saved their lives while on patrol.  It is really cool."  - LTC (Censored)
 
** CLV means Class 5 items which is a logistics term for ammunition.
 
I wish I could elaborate on some of the more "Interesting" ways the howitzers are bieng used over their but unfortunately I cant.
 
Regards
 
Arty
 
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