ARTILLERY

THE FORCE OF A FIRE BLOW

Artillery still provides the basic firepower in land combat operations. The Army is essentially an instrument to achieve the objectives in a battle or a combat operation. The Royal Army artillery is an up to date and well-trained arm, designed for the missions of fire support. Its personnel are trained to inflict sudden, strong, accurate and successful rocket-artillery fire blows. Artillery and its optimal organic structure enable high rate of reaction, based on independently selected targets and adequate deployment - in the enemy tactical and operational depth and in a simultaneous envelopment - and real conditions and time of firing. Effective and sophisticated ammunition that enables high rate of kill and possibility of modification contributes to the success.

The Royal Army artillery in the process of reorganization of the Royal Army has adapted to the new conditions successfully. The optimal organizational structure has been established, which together with technical modernization and good combat training, is a precondition for successful accomplishment of any mission. The degree of integration of artillery with the other arms of the Army makes effective the strength of its blows, maneuver, fire and operations against the enemy forces in the depth of the selected direction. It is necessary to destroy or disable from further fire or tactical employment a large number of tanks and other moving targets on the battlefield, by sudden, strong, short artillery fire. Thus the role of artillery in modern armed conflicts is getting an exceptional importance. Its use requires the increase in its firepower, range, mobility and capabilities to provide fire support to the tactical, operative and strategic units on the move and to conduct antitank, air-drop and artillery operations. Artillery plays a leading role within the Army, because nearly one third of all artillery and artillery support units belong to it. Thanks to the innovation and modification, and the fact that well-trained soldiers, ready for sudden, strong and accurate fire under all conditions operate them, the systems artillery is armed with kept their places in the first combat echelons. The process of modernization has continued by updating the ammunition and laser guided projectiles, by the production of antitank guided projectiles (the second and the third generation). The units are supplied with navigational and fire control devices to conduct combat operations under all weather, astronomical, terrain, electronic conditions, day and night. Modernizing artillery as a whole, specially its more important artillery systems, the number and the structure of artillery pieces, their range and caliber, as well as their overall combat capabilities have been increased. This presents a good foundation for further building up of the arm.

The development of artillery is mainly determined by successful harmonization of the man and the weapon - with the basic aim to provide artillery support to oppose the enemy in any situation. New, highly professional and well-trained cadre, dedicated to the profession and brought up in the spirit of fighting traditions of their people, are getting a very important role. Therefore artillery personnel, under present conditions, are of the utmost importance, because the key to artillery efficiency is in their hands.