High Arctic weather felt in Brandon last week, with almost  -50 c temperatures at the Brandon airport brewed up optimal environmental conditions for CFB Shilo personnel to carry out military training manoeuvres, in preparation for Operation NANOOK, on Jan. 23.

The task at hand was to dry-run loading two M777 howitzers into the back of a C-130 Hercules J Model for the proposed use up north. Ascertaining any potential challenges to the equipment transportation and use in the frigid climate was the goal of the load trial attempt, CFB Shilo’s Sergeant Derek Picklyk of the central material transportation terminal (Base traffic) said.

 

More than 25 military personnel from Shilo, 436 Squadron from Kingston and 17 Wing in Winnipeg took part in the successful positioning of the two nine-metre 4.2-tonne guns (4,570 kilograms each).

 

It was the first time two of the howitzer-class artillery pieces were loaded onto a J model plane, making the trial a necessity because there are no manuals covering the detailed protocols, Picklyk said, adding the biggest challenge was the height of the guns.

“So, my understanding is we haven’t done it before. There was special bracing that needed to be built so that the first M777 sat at the correct angle and height to facilitate getting the second one in.”

 

The M777 is a 155 millimetre artillery piece first used in the war in Afghanistan, very different conditions to those in the Arctic. The M777 howitzer is an extended-range, general-purpose field artillery weapon that can fire up to 40 kilometres. It is highly mobile and easily transported by rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft or heavy wheeled vehicles. The body has trails, spades, and stabilizers that can be folded for transportation and storage.

 

Op NANOOK is a Canadian Armed Forces defence operation comprising of comprehensive military activities designed to assert the nation’s sovereignty and protect the High Arctic while enhancing defence capabilities.

 

More to come on CFB Shilo’s participation in Op NANOOK