U.S. HIMARS & Kuwaiti Artillery Partner for Live-Fire Exercise

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 65th Field Artillery Brigade, and artillerymen from the 22nd and 23rd Battalions, of the Kuwait Land Force, fire rocket systems in a bilateral live-fire exercise Jan. 8, 2019, near Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

The 65th FAB, firing High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and the KLF artillery battalions, which employ BM-30 Smerch rocket systems, have fired together in the past; however, this joint exercise was the first time the units have lined up ten rocket systems in this particular configuration.

“This is something I’ve never seen before,” said Capt. Jonathon Call, 65th FAB liaison officer. Call described the rocket system setup as incredibly lethal and a quintessential example of the working relationship between Kuwaiti and U.S. Soldiers.

U.S. and Kuwaiti forces train together frequently to maintain a high level of combat readiness and to maintain and increase effective communication between the two forces. Sharing, refining and improving defense tactics and operating procedures remains a priority for the partner nations.

The 65th FAB, which transferred its role to the 18th Field Artillery Brigade in a transfer of authority ceremony today, was deployed to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility in support of Task Force Spartan, which increases military readiness and capability, in order to maintain regional stability and expand regional partnerships. Additionally, the task force and coalition partners conduct security operations within the region, enabling land forces to quickly build combat power through multiple mobility options in times of crisis.