Artillery Battalion (Norway)

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Artillery Battalion
Artilleribataljonen
Coat of arms of the Norwegian Artillery Battalion.svg
Insignia of the Artillery Battalion
Active1953–present
CountryFlag of Norway.svg  Norway
Branch Army
Type Field artillery
Role Indirect fire support
SizeBattalion [a]
Part of Brigade Nord
Garrison/HQSetermoen Leir
Motto(s) Norwegian: Gjør rett, frykt ingen
English: Do right, fear none
Colours Beret flash of the Norwegian Army Artillery Branch.svg Blue beret
Mascot(s)Corporal Oskar II (Olga Battery)
AnniversariesCelebration of Saint Barbara on December 4 [3]
Equipment24 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers [4]
Commanders
Current
commander		 Lieutenant Colonel Mats W. Dyrstad

The Artillery Battalion (Norwegian : Artilleribataljonen) is a combat support unit in the Norwegian army, as a part of the Northern brigade. The unit numbers 560 soldiers and officers. As the brigade's artillery battalion, its mission is to provide fire support for land operations through field artillery, air support and ship artillery. [5] The Artillery Battalion also provides personnel for national preparedness and operations abroad. The battalion has its headquarters in Setermoen camp in Troms county and one battery in Rena camp in Innlandet county. [1] [2]

Contents

The battalion's main weapons are K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers and NASAMS III air-defence system.

History

Early formation in Allied Occupied Germany (1947–1953)

The unit pennant of Battery Olga, with the battery's mascot, the pig. Batteri olga.JPG
The unit pennant of Battery Olga, with the battery's mascot, the pig.

The Artillery Battalion is a continuation of the Field Artillery Regiment, which served under the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group, Norway's force participation in the post-war occupation of Germany from 1947 to 1953. [6] [7] The regiment consisted of two companies, Battery Nils and Battery Olga. During its stay in Germany, the Battery Olga adopted a wild boar piglet that had lost its parents to poachers. The boar was named Corporal Oscar and became the battery's mascot. Because of its higher "rank", all privates had to salute it.

Relocate into the new brigade (1953–1996)

After the service in Post-War Germany, the Field Artillery Regiment was relocated to Setermoen in 1953, subsequently reorganised as a Field Artillery Battalion as a part of the new brigade in Northern-Norway. [8] In 1964, the battalion was reinforced one canon battery, Canon Battery Petter, which provided support for the newly established infantry battalion. The following years, the battalion also acquired modernised equipment. Five new M113 armoured wagons were assigned to Battery Nils for radio communication. In 1969, the M109A3GNM field howitzer replaced the self-propelled M7 105 mm field howitzers.

At the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, numerous units in the Army were disbanded from 1995 onwards. [9] As early as 1993, the battalion was downsized with two batteries, Petter and Olga.

Reformation and modernisation (1996–2024)

In the early stages of the 2000s, the battalion was quite reduced in terms of personnel size and equipment level. Despite the budget cuts the previous years, the battalion acquires rocket artillery in 1997. [10] In 2006, Battery Petter was re-established, now as Battery Piraya, and was assigned to Telemark Battalion at Rena as part of the new Rapid Reaction Force of the Norwegian Army. It is also the only gun battery in the battalion to field exclusively professional soldiers. [1] [11] Battery Olga was also reformed the same year, and the battery commander, captain Tom Patrick Scarlett, was given a new wild boar piglet as a ceremonial gift. The new piglet was named Corporal Oscar II, inheriting the rank of its predecessor and also enjoying the mandatory salutes of soldiers serving in the battery.

In August 2018, the mobile air defence was restored, establishing a new air defence battery as a part of the Artilley Battalion. The new air defence will consist of ACSV G5 armoured combat support vehicles with the AIM-9X short-range missile and Humvee utility vehicles with AMRAAM missile fro the NASAM system. The Air Defence Battery is stationed at Setermoen garrison. However, the battery will eventually have personnel further north in Finnmark.

In 2020, after years of service, the previous M109A3GNM field howitzer was replaced by the new K9 Thunder field howitzer replaced. [12] [13] In total, the army has acquired 24 new K9 Thunder wagons. [4]

Organisation

One of the battalion's M109 in action during an exercise in 2010. This system has been replaced by the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer. M109Olga.jpg
One of the battalion's M109 in action during an exercise in 2010. This system has been replaced by the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer.

The battalion consists of six batteries:

The battalion's three main gun batteries, Nils, Olga, and Petter, provides artillery support to the main combat battalions in the brigade, the Armoured Battalion, 2n Battalion and Telemark Battalion. Nils and Olga are situated at Setermoen Camp, while Petter is situated at Rena. Batteries Nils and Olga are conscription units. Soldiers who have completed their initial service here can apply to Battery Petter, which is a fully professionalised unit with enlisted personnel. [1]

The gun batteries each have a gun platoon (manning the howitzers), an OP platoon (Observation Post platoon, moving with the unit being supported and acquiring targets) and a command platoon (collects and processes data, issues firing data).

The staff battery consists of support and supply personnel. They provide the gun batteries with the resources they need to fight (ammunition, distance, elevation and weather data and security). In addition, they garrison Setermoen camp and serves as guards and medics during exercises.

The Reconnaissance Battery comprises two artillery ranger platoons. The rangers move in forward positions and conduct surveillance and target acquisition mission, providing joint tactical air co-ordination.

The battalion also has a WLS-platoon, that is used in counter-battery fire. When enemy artillery fires, the WLS radar detects the projectile and uses its trajectory to calculate where it was fired from. This data is then sent to the ILS and the cannon battery staffs, which in turn use this to coordinate the cannons in an effort to take out the enemy battery.

Notes

  1. ↑ 380 conscripts and 180 enlisted personell. [1] [2]
  2. ↑ This battery was previously named Petter; as of 2006 it's called Piraya [11] [14]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Leraand, Dag (2024-03-17), "Artilleribataljonen", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), retrieved 2025-01-14
  2. 1 2 "Artilleribataljonen". Folk og Forsvar (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  3. ↑ Gamst, Thorbein (1985). "Artilleriets skytsengel – Sankta Barbara". Artilleriet 300 år: 1685–1985. Norsk Artilleritidsskrift.
  4. 1 2 Gran, Maria (2020-02-06), "K9 Vidar skyt i Noreg for første gong", Forsvaret (Norwegian Armed Forces) (in Norwegian)
  5. ↑ "Brigade Nord". www.forsvaret.no (Norwegian Armed Forces).
  6. ↑ Leraand, Dag (2024-11-26). "Tysklandsbrigaden". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  7. ↑ Nybø, Kent Roar (2021-03-07). "Arvid (89) ble hedret med medalje". Lofot-Tidende (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-12-02. Tjenesten i Tysklandsbrigaden husker han fortsatt. [...] – Jeg var ved batteri Olga, som kanonér. Sammen med meg var det en annen i laget som var fra Lofoten, Martin fra Flakstad, forteller Arvid.
  8. ↑ Leraand, Dag (November 25, 2024). "Brigaden i Nord-Norge". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Børresen, Jabob; Dørum, Knut (2024-11-19), "Norsk forsvarshistorie", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), retrieved 2025-01-15
  10. ↑ Nes, Atle (2000-02-06), "Velkommen til Brigadens Slagbjørn Batteri Nils", atlenes.com (in Norwegian), retrieved 2025-01-15
  11. 1 2 Ellingsen, Tore (2022-05-12), "HV på kanonoppdrag", Forsvaret (Norwegian Armed Forces) (in Norwegian), retrieved 2025-01-15
  12. ↑ "Denne gjør Hæren sterkere". Forsvaret (Norwegian Armed Forces) (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  13. ↑ Jarslett, Yngve (2023-03-17), "K9 Thunder", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), retrieved 2025-01-14
  14. ↑ "Spesialist i Telemark bataljon". Forsvaret (Norwegian Armed Forces).


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