Public Service Announcement: Expect higher than usual noise levels during artillery practice-sometimes at night-on Canadian Forces Base Valcartier

VALCARTIER, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - March 17, 2017) - Under Exercise PIÈCES MOBILES some 150 members of the 5^e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada (5 RALC) will be conducting artillery practice from March 20 to 24, 2017, in the training areas of the Valcartier Base, primarily north of the Jacques-Cartier River.

This training is essentially designed to validate and maintain the gunners' live firing skills. The soldiers will have to learn to work in a state of fatigue during extended manoeuvres without sleep breaks and become accustomed to operating in the cold and the dark.

Quick Facts

• During Exercise PIÈCES MOBILES, approximately 500 155-mm shells will be expended, some at night.
• The shells will be fired from M777 howitzers, which are lighter and smaller than all other guns of their kind, yet more powerful.
• Gunners must be exposed to all conditions they could encounter in an operational setting. It is thus important to train them both in the daytime and at night.
• Exercise PIÈCES MOBILES is not associated with any specific deployment.
• The Artillery belongs to the Combat Arms, which also include the Infantry, Armoured Corps and Combat Engineers. Artillery soldiers are responsible for surveillance, target acquisition, and indirect fire to engage the enemy.

Quote

"We are aware of the inconvenience caused by the sound of howitzer shots. This is why we minimize the use of live firing during the night to avoid disrupting the peace of residents. But the Artillery is an advanced arm that requires soldiers to drill constantly. Exercise PIÈCES MOBILES is specifically designed to give gunners a chance to practise their skills so that they can provide effective fire support in operational manoeuvres."

Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Poitras, Commanding Officer of the 5^e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada

Associated Links

5 RALC Web Page

5 RALC Facebook Page