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RAIL GUNNER RUSH ~ USAREUR MLRS In Estonia

A US Army Multiple Launch Rocket System fires off its first rocket during a live fire exercise with Estonian Defence Force in Tapa, Estonia 05 September 2020 [US Army: Spc Ryan Barnes]
US Army Europe’s 41st Field Artillery Brigade has deployed Multiple Launch Rocket System battery to Estonia for Exercise RAIL GUNNER RUSH.

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Approximately 70 US soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment (1-6FAR) of 41st Field Artillery Brigade (41 FAB) are conducting the live fire with members of the Estonian Defence Forces 1st Infantry Brigade in Tapa, Estonia. This is 41st FAB’s first live-fire training event with MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems) outside of Germany since their reactivation at Grafenwöhr in Bavaria on 30 November 2018.

US soldiers assigned to 41st Field Artillery Brigade loaded vehicles and equipment onto a train heading to Tapa in Estonia for RAIL GUNNER RUSH, 19 August 2020 [US Army: Spc Ryan Barnes]

RAIL GUNNER RUSH is intended to demonstrate the strong bilateral partnership between the US and Estonia and to test the brigade’s deployment capabilities, readiness and interoperability with NATO Allies. The 41st FAB is the only European based US Field Artillery Brigade, providing strategic, operational and tactical-level fires and support throughout the US European Command.

Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery 1-6FAR load training rounds into their Multiple Launch Rockets Systems during a NATO allied live fire Exercise in Tapa, 05 September 2020 [US Army: Maj Joe Bush]
The fire direction officer for Bravo Battery 1-6FAR talks with Estonian soldiers about the complexities of NATO fire missions with Allied and Partner nations,Tapa, 05 September 2020 [US Army: Maj Joe Bush]
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery 1-6FAR, soldiers from the Estonian Defence Force, and other NATO Allies and Partners watch as a rocket takes flight during a live fire exercise at Tapa, 05 September 2020 [US Army: Spc Ryan Barnes]
A Canadian artillery officer assigned to the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia observes MLRS fires on Tapa Training Area with observers from eight other NATO Allies countries [US Army: Maj Joe Bush]

In the light of recent instability in neighbouring Belarus, USAREUR has been at pains to stress this routine training exercise is not tied to any current events in the region.

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Editor’s Footnote: Late last month we received an invite to Tapa from USAREUR to cover part of RAIL GUNNER RUSH and had initially drawn up plans to briefly visit Estonia before moving on this evening to an event in another Baltic region nation, but unfortunately the recent short notice introduction of quarantine requirements in this part of Europe knocked that idea on the head.

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