Talking Targeting in Estonia

Photo By Maj. Joseph Bush | The U.S. Estonian Fires Seminar in Tallinn, Estonia, April 18-22, 2022, was hosted by the Estonian Defense Force and developed by the U.S. 41st Field Artillery Brigade based in Grafenwoehr, Germany. The fires Seminar allowed artillery professionals from the U.S. and Estonia to learn how each other’s targeting and artillery processes work to include U.S. Marines and Airmen as well as British and Danish Artillery officers from the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Estonia. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Bush)  

TALLINN, ESTONIA

04.21.2022

Story by Maj. Joseph Bush 

41st Field Artillery Brigade

TALLINN, Estonia – U.S. and NATO fires professionals from across Europe gathered in Tallinn, Estonia, to participate in the U.S. Estonia Fires Seminar, 18-22 April.
The seminar is designed to help the Estonian Defense Forces integrate their fires processes with NATO Partners by expanding their interoperability capabilities across all three domains; human, technical, and procedural.
“Of the three domains, the most important is the human domain, with that we can overcome anything else,” said Lt. Col. Tyler Donnell, senior fire support trainer, Joint Multinational Training Center. “Relationships matter, people matter and it’s why we come together at these seminars and exercises; to build these relationships with our Allies and Partners.”
The seminar, hosted by the Estonian Defense Force and developed with the help of the U.S. 41st Field Artillery Brigade, included U.S. Soldiers, Marines, Airmen from all over Europe as well as field artillery officers from Denmark and the United Kingdom as part NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Estonia.
“That is what has made this conference fun was because we have elements from V Corps targeting cell, 19th Battlefield Coordination Detachment and1st Infantry Division Artillery coming together with our Estonian partners to talk about everything from artillery systems to the joint targeting process,” said Donnell.
Over the course of five days, the artillery professionals gathered and talked about the fires process within their respective countries and units and also built an understanding of each other’s systems both technical and procedural.
Also in attendance was V Corps Deputy Commanding General Maj. Gen. Jeffery Broadwater.
“The ability to operate together can get overlooked,” said Broadwater. “It’s more than just speaking the same language. It’s developing relationships. It’s understanding strengths and weaknesses and understanding how are systems work.”
One of the ways they talk to each other across international and linguistic boundaries is through a system called Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities used by about a dozen European and NATO countries. In March, Estonia was voted in by the ASCA Committee as a member elect making them the 13th country.
“It is growing by leaps and bounds. ASCA is the one way for artillery systems to really grow in the technical piece of interoperability,” said Donnell. “Interoperability is getting fires information from any sensor on the battlefield through national systems and shared across to the best multinational shooter in order to service the target.”
In May, Estonia will validate their ASCA systems and targeting technics during Defender Europe 22 when they will be working with U.S. High Mobility Mobile Artillery Rocket Systems from the 169th Field Artillery Brigade, Colorado National Guard conducting High Mobility Rapid Infiltration missions as part of the preplanned exercise.
The Estonia Defense Forces Deputy Commander, Maj. Gen. Veiko-Vello Palm said, “The interoperability is a key, for this we are testing all our C2 Command and control systems to ensure our forward observers from the [Estonian] 23rd Infantry Battalion will be able to call for fire from [U.S.] HiMARS that are situated hundreds of kilometers away.”
The purpose of this fires seminar was to enhance understanding of the U.S. fires and the targeting process, incorporating EDF’s process, and conduct digital interoperability fire support systems via ASCA protocol with another member nation.
“I’m very humbled to come up here and see all the great work that our Soldiers are doing,” said Broadwater. “We got the opportunity to work with Maj. Gen. Palm and the Estonian Forces to make sure we are better, not only in the human piece, but also through the different systems making sure we know how each other work.”

• Date Taken: 04.21.2022
• Date Posted: 04.21.2022 05:02
• Story ID: 418923
• Location: TALLINN, EE