60 soldiers from the 1st Mazurian Artillery Brigade take part in weekly Akktuli’24 exercises in Estonia. Poles train together with the military there, among others, the usage of artillery during combat activities. Soldiers from Węgorzewa went to the Estonian field equipped with 3 K9 cannons.
The exercises began on October 9 and will take a week. At Kolgu camp in Estonia, Poles arrived the day before. The equipment was transported utilizing military low chassis kits.
– The nonsubjective of Akctuli’24 is to make common procedures for conducting combined fire support and building operational awareness. This is an excellent chance to exchange experience with Estonian soldiers, as well as to carry out activities in the fresh area – explains Major Magdalena Kościńska from the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division. The “Bursztine Division” from Olsztyn includes, among others, 1 Mazury Artillery Brigade60 soldiers left for Estonia.
– Artillery is simply a key component of modern armed forces, which carries out a wide scope of tasks in the field of combat. Therefore, training with NATO's allies from the east flank is highly valuable to us, says Major Kościńska. – Exercises in Estonia let to test in practice fire support of land units. Artillery then works on the rule of indirect fire, does not straight see enemy troops. It shoots distant the front's first lines, destroying the fortifications, infrastructure or vehicles of the opponent, making a "place" for the infantry and armored troops," added Major Koscińska.
Eel soldiers besides train in Estonia to fire their opponent and change position quickly, making it hard to counterattack from the enemy. In Estonian exercises, soldiers usage 3 Self-propelled cannonhaubice K9 Thunder. It is an artillery equipment of Korean production, late utilized by the Polish army.
K9 has a full steel structure resistant to fire 14.5 mm ammunition, shards of kal shells. 152 mm and anti-personnel mine explosions. The main arming of the cannonhaubica is simply a 155-millimeter cannon with a barrel dimension of 52 calibers that can harm targets within a radius of up to 40 km. The caterpillar vehicle on which the weapon is placed has a 1000 hp engine. His crew has 5 people. – The vehicle has a hydro-pneumatic suspension, so it can besides decision through hard terrain of different shapes. In addition, the cannonhaubica K9 is adapted to fire in MRSI mode, i.e. it fires 3 missiles in 5 seconds apart at different angles of lifting in specified a way that they all hit the mark simultaneously," explains Major Magdalena Kościńska.
The first Korean cannonhaubice K9 was purchased by the Polish army in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In July 2022, a framework agreement was signed to deliver more than 670 specified departments. By June 2024 72 cannon-haubices from Korea were sent to the Polish army.
16 Pomeranian Mechanized Division, whose soldiers are presently training in Estonia, has more than 14,000 soldiers. It consists of 9 units: 1st Artillery Brigade, 9th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, 15th Mechanized Brigade, 20th Mechanized Brigade, 15th Anti-aircraft Regiment, 14th Anti-tank Regiment, 16th Logistics Regiment, 16th Bomb Squadron, 9th Battalion of Command and 2 recently formed 16th Motorized Brigade and 16th Reconnaissance Battalion. As of December 2, 2019, Command of the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division operates in Olsztyn.
Individual division units are equipped with state-of-the-art military equipment, K2 tanks, cannonhaubice K9, lobster launchers or anti-aircraft rocket kits “Narew” short range.
