RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter – 2024 / 2025 Edition 113 alternate firing positions, while time and road space were also required to facilitate movement and resupply. Figure 5: 106 Bty M777A2 Howitzers and Japanese 81mm mortars suppress enemy assault forces with high explosive projectiles, while Japanese Type 69 mortars simultaneously blind enemy firing positions with white phosphorus. Figure 6: Japanese Type 69 120mm towed mortar. Mission Processing Refinement During both exercises we continued to refine how our different targeting cycles test our processes. Fire mission processing was helped significantly by the FSCC’s “fire mission slip”. This paper slip was written in both Japanese and English, thereby eliminating much of the language barrier and reducing the delay in mission processing. This also assisted the JFECC in understanding and tracking the use of the Japanese Mortars whilst also being able to confirm clear air and ground to facilitate engagements. Another key learning opportunity related to differing approaches to fire planning between both nations. While both nations were acquainted with time-based fire plans, the Japanese were less familiar with event- based fire plans, which offer greater flexibility to post H-hour modifications. The greatest challenge to mission processing was the incompatibility of the JGSDF and Australian gunnery computers. Security classifications and software prevented any form of digital interoperability, which is recommended as an objective for future training activities. Figure 7: Japanese “Fire Mission Slip” Figure 8: Dismounted FSCC and Mounted JFECC configuration within BG CORAL HQ during of conduct of the MDB on Ex BROLGA RUN. Live Fire Validation The live fire component of Ex BROLGA SPRINT served to validate the TTPs that had been developed over the preceding few weeks. The live fire scenario was a Brigade defensive fire plan that integrated Australian howitzers and Japanese mortars, JFTs, as well as tanks, and direct fire support weapons. In execution, Australian and Japanese fire units successfully engaged several scheduled and on-call engagements simultaneously as part of a dynamic event-based area defence. As part of a full battlegroup activity, Japanese and Australian FO’s were able to practice integration under