US Army and Marine Corps tanks join Finland Arrow 19 exercise
SUMMARY
For the second year in a row, US Marines joined the US Army and partner forces in Finland in May 2019 for the Arrow military exercise.
During the two-week Arrow 19 exercise, the Marines again pulled tanks and other equipment from the cave complex in Norway that has been used to store gear since the Cold War.
The exercise allows Marines "to evaluate our ability to offload personnel and equipment, generate combat power across the Atlantic, and then redeploy assets through a known logistically complicated area of operation," 1st Lt. Robert Locker, a Marine communications officer, said in a release.
Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and US Army Europe cavalry soldiers took part in the exercise alongside British army armored intelligence unit the Royal Lancers, an Estonian armored intelligence unit, and their Finnish hosts.
US Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tanks and Light Armored Vehicles from the caves of Marine Corps Prepositioning Program-Norway at the Port of Pori, Finland, May 2, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Devin J. Andrews)
The Marines' gear came from six caves in central Norway, the exact location of which is not known. Three caves have everything from rolling stock to towed artillery; the other three hold ammunition, officials told Military.com in 2017.
That equipment is drawn from the caves "on a regular basis to support bilateral and multilateral exercises throughout Europe," Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a Pentagon spokesman, told Business Insider. The caves and gear there provide "a unique capability that is flexible and scalable to the operational requirements of the Marine Corps and US European Command."
The Arrow exercise — conducted on arid grassland in southwest Finland at a time of year when the sun is out 21 hours a day — is meant to put platoon- to battalion-size mechanized infantry, artillery, and tank units to the test, including in live-fire exercises.
Below, you can see how this year's version went down.
US Marines receive fuel from Finnish soldiers with 2nd Logistics Regiment, Logistics Command, during Arrow 2019 at Niinisalo Garrison, Finland, May 4, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US Marines inventory gear during Arrow 2019 at Niinisalo Garrison, Finland, May 5, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
Finnish army Sgt. Nora Lagerholm, left, and US Marine Cpl. Jose Rodriguez offload a Humvee during Arrow 2019 at Niinisalo Garrison, Finland, May 3, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US Marines and British soldiers at a welcome brief during exercise Arrow 2019 at Niinisalo Garrison, Finland, May 3, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US soldiers from Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment during the troop live-fire exercise during Arrow 19, May 15, 2019.
(US Army photo by Sgt. LaShic Patterson)
Finnish soldiers firing a mortar during Arrow 19.
(Finnish army/Facebook)
Finnish soldiers start their vehicles during Arrow 19, May 15, 2019.
(US Army photo by Sgt. LaShic Patterson)
US soldiers drive their Stryker Dragoon vehicles back after the Finnish battalion battle group live-fire exercise, May 17, 2019.
(US Army photo by Sgt. LaShic Patterson)
US Marines receive ammunition before a live-fire range during Arrow 2019 at Niinisalo Garrison, Finland, May 12, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US soldiers await their next command during the troop live-fire exercise during Arrow 19, May 15, 2019.
(US Army photo by Sgt. LaShic Patterson)
DISE provides video-game-like playback, with fast-forwarding and rewinding. "With MILES, you get the adjudication of kills and just the basic level of force-on-force support," Lee said. "However, with DISE, the [after-action review] capability was the biggest gain."
With DISE, US personnel could also simulate injuries, allowing for scenarios in which soldiers could perform combat lifesaver measures to reset the vests and to add more time to soldiers' virtual lives.
A US Marine Corps Light Armored Vehicle and a M1A1 Abrams tank at the firing line during a live-fire range as part of Arrow 2019, May 15, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
Finnish tanks during Arrow 19, May 14, 2019.
(Finnish army/Facebook)
US Marine Corps Light Armored Vehicles prepare to depart a training area during Arrow 2019, May 15, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
Finnish tanks on the move during Arrow 19.
(Finnish army/Facebook)
US Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Jake Gesling, a platoon commander, with a Finnish army platoon commander during a force-on-force battle as part of Arrow 2019, May 10, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US Marine Corps Light Armored Vehicles on a tank range during Arrow 2019, May 15, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US soldiers inside a Stryker Dragoon vehicle during the troop live-fire exercise during Arrow 19, May 15, 2019.
(US Army photo by Sgt. LaShic Patterson)
US Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David J. Furness, commander of the 2nd Marine Division, addresses Marines on the second day of the Arrow 19 live-fire exercise in Niinisalo, Finland, May 13, 2019.
(Finnish army/Facebook)
US Marines fire a Light Armored Vehicle during a live-fire range as part of Arrow 2019, May 13, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US service members observe a Finnish army Leopard 2L Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge during exercise Arrow 2019 at Pohjankangas Training Area near Niinisalo, Finland, May 7, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tanks move into position during a live-fire range as part of Arrow 2019, May 14, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
US Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tanks with 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, fire during a live-fire range as part of exercise Arrow 2019 at the Pohjankangas Training Area near Niinisalo, Finland, May 13, 2019.
(US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins)
This article originally appeared on Business Insider. Follow @BusinessInsider on Twitter.
