US soldiers say running high-stress artillery ops deep in the ever-changing Arctic is unlike anywhere else

• At an Arctic training exercise in Alaska, soldiers maneuvered artillery over difficult terrain.
• The process required a kind of "graceful dance" between communication, timing, and coordination, troops said.
• The temperature, weather, and ground conditions in the Arctic make artillery ops there tougher than in other places.

Deep in the Arctic, US troops are training to conduct difficult and high-stress artillery operations in challenging cold-weather conditions.

The challenges, soldiers told Business Insider, come from the freezing temperatures, harsh weather, and unpredictable ground conditions.

"There's a lot more than goes into it, especially in the Arctic environment, than the rest of the world," Sgt. First Class Zachary Poole told Business Insider.

Artillery is used for suppressing enemy defenses and shattering advances and is something soldiers do not want to go into battle without, so the gun crews get it done regardless.

At US Army Pacific's third annual Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training event near Fairbanks, Alaska, last month, soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division, international allies, and other partners ran large-scale war exercises, training to survive and fight in the Arctic environment.

In the sky, the training exercise included a 150-mile attack helicopter deep strike, as well as paratrooper missions that involved jumping from aircraft and landing in the snow.

On the ground, troops moved over difficult terrain in unforgiving conditions, hauling heavy artillery pieces over frozen ground and uneven snow to the weapons to the firing positions. The process is painstaking.

One afternoon, the temperature reached about six degrees Fahrenheit, and the soldiers joked it was spring. Vicious winds had whipped up much of the snow on the open fields, exposing dead weeds and frozen mud. The forests were a different story though. In some parts, the snow could be several feet deep. Soldiers had to be careful not fall into holes between the trees.

USARPAC has prioritized training in the Arctic and in tropical, jungle areas, seeing these environments as ones in which US Army soldiers in the Pacific need to be prepared to fight, USARPAC commander Charles A. Flynn told BI. Tensions in the Indo-Pacific region tend to run high.

The Pacific is home to a wide range of climates, temperatures, and terrains, as well as a host of US allies and potential adversaries. Flynn noted that increasing readiness in the region, particularly through training with allies, is the best counter to increasingly aggressive behavior by China. Russia and North Korea, too, elevate tensions in this region.

Last month's large-scale JPMRC training rotation in Alaska pushed over 8,000 service members to challenge themselves and their abilities, innovate in an unpredictable environment, and learn how to fight, survive, and thrive in that space, US Army leaders said.

Part of this training included ensuring ground forces can effectively and quickly maneuver, set up, fire, and deconstruct artillery pieces, like Howitzers, regardless of the terrain or environment they're in. The biggest challenge in the Arctic, Poole said, is managing the terrain "because anything above pretty much about a foot of snow is going to require some type of clearance."

The act of clearing a certain area for artillery to move in and out adds a layer of difficulty to the operation, and can be time-consuming depending on how much snow there is. It's an extra step to consider when coordinating a strike, too.

Just days before Poole talked to BI, the terrain looked a lot different. There was way more snow out on the open fields, and subzero temperatures, about -40 degrees, made running operations difficult.

Soldiers conducting artillery operations in this environment told BI that at first, they have to wait for a position to be cleared before they can move into it. In that waiting period, they're sitting ducks just waiting around until they get orders to move. Sitting still on the battlefield leaves forces vulnerable to ground fire or attacks from the air.

That same position could look different from day-to-day; reconnaissance of what areas of the terrain would be best for artillery is key to the operation. After the artillery position is picked by a commander and relayed to troops, it's go time.

Once the position is relayed to the gun crew, they quickly maneuver and set up, ready to fire.

"If it's in a wooded area, that might give you more defense" from your enemies, Capt. Zachary Tousignant said, noting that it gives you more concealment, but it can also be more difficult to build and take apart artillery pieces in there because there's less room to move around and more obstacles to navigate, impeding reaction time.

In an open field, it's easier to navigate surroundings, place the piece, and put together and deconstruct everything quickly. But troops are exposed, making them more vulnerable.

It's crucial the crews are always ready to move. "The biggest thing is any time we spot any type of aircraft, any time we take any type of direct or indirect fire, it really triggers us to move to a new location," Poole said.

For artillery, mobility is key. That can be impeded by the Arctic environment, Tousignant said, and adjusting to the cold and carrying around the gear and equipment necessary to survive is something that adds to the stress.

Coordination with the rest of the combat force is essential as well, especially in the Arctic. Troops are being proactive rather than reactive, they told BI, looking for new or alternative firing positions in real time. It is a delicate process, and losing focus can result in problems.

But when it goes well, Poole said, it's a "graceful dance" of sorts that puts the gun crews where they need to be to unleash a significant amount of firepower on an enemy. As the war in Ukraine has shown, artillery remains a critical element of modern warfare.