Soldiers from 106 Battery moved rapidly from concealed positions to engage simulated enemy targets before relocating to avoid counter-fire. Target coordinates were provided by radar operators from 16 Regiment following initial engagements by HIMARS launchers.
The Huntsman crews also conducted direct-fire missions against targets at ranges of up to six kilometres. AS10 ammunition resupply vehicles reloaded the howitzers under live-fire conditions.
“We are at action in about 30 seconds, fire our missions and move quickly, which improves our survivability on the battlefield,” said Lieutenant Colonel Simon Frewin, the regiment’s commanding officer. “That means if an enemy does identify us, they are unable to respond in time before the AS9 has already moved to a new position.”
The trial marked a step in 4 Regiment’s transition from traditional towed guns to armoured, self-propelled artillery. “Moving from traditional towed guns to the Huntsman delivers a major leap in artillery capability for the 4 Regt,” Frewin said.
It was also the first time the soldiers had operated the Huntsman without instructors and processed their own fire missions. “The battery with its new equipment far exceeded our baseline expectations during the activity,” Frewin said.
Major Fergus Robertson, commander of 106 Battery, said the exercise was the practical culmination of months of intensive conversion training. “The successful live-fire activity demonstrated how rapidly soldiers have mastered the system,” he said.
The move to armoured platforms gives gun crews direct responsibility for maintaining their vehicles and weapon systems. “One of the biggest challenges for soldiers will be vehicle husbandry – this is your vehicle, this is your home and you’re responsible for it,” Robertson said.
The trial confirmed that the Huntsman’s digital system could link sensor data directly to its weapons, reducing the time between target detection and engagement. The combination of digital targeting and rapid relocation is intended to allow crews to strike quickly while limiting their exposure to counter-fire.
The unit will now move to more complex combined-arms training alongside armoured infantry and engineering elements. “The AS9 marks the regiment’s transition from towed artillery to self-propelled artillery, supporting the 3 Bde’s modernisation pathway towards a heavy armoured formation,” Robertson said.
