British and American artillery train together, 20 March 2015.

Colchester’s airborne gunners have joined forces with their American counterparts as they train for their role in the British Army’s rapid reaction force.

G Battery, 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (G Bty, 7 Para RHA) was joined on Exercise Steel Sabre by troops from the 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (2-319th AFAR).

The exercise, held in wintry conditions at the Otterburn ranges in Northumberland, saw 7 Para RHA live firing their L118 105mm Light Guns directed by Fire Support Teams, who work with infantry to co-ordinate artillery and air support.

G Bty, 7 Para RHA trained with 2-319th AFAR in January at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and this exercise was the reciprocal visit. The two units parent formations, 16 Air Assault Brigade and 82nd Airborne Division respectively, both serve as their armies’ rapid reaction forces and are working towards being able to deploy as a joint force in response to international crises.

Gunner Lawrence Quinn, 23 from Northampton, said: “I visited the US to fire their guns, as well as ours, and saw the variations in the kit. I feel this has broadened my experience and I have seen the differences not only in the equipment but in the training and the lifestyle.

“It is good that US soldiers are also here to experience the British way of doing things.”

2-319th AFAR is equipped with the M119A3 Howitzer, a modified version of the British Light Gun, and the heavier M777A2 155mm howitzer.

2-319th AFAR’s First Lieutenant Gerald Tucke, 28 from Boston, said: “We are looking to find common ground between our two systems and the way we do things - be it calling for fire, working the control points, right down to the guns - so that an American observer can work British artillery and British observers can use an American artillery line.

“How they call for fire missions is different to how we call fire missions but at the end of the day they are still sending data to a cannon and it is processing it and it is firing. It’s the small things but overall, not very different. “Most interesting is how often the British military train and how far and wide they go to train, from all the way up here to somewhere in Africa. Overall, it has been an awesome experience, these guys are top notch.”

Ex Steel Sabre saw 1,400 gunners from 17 British regular and Reserve regiments from 1 Artillery Brigade’s train together to prepare for future operations.