NATO holds its largest ever artillery exercise in Europe

French Caesar howitzers, Swedish Archers, American multiple launch rocket systems firing in a coordinated effort to prevent enemy forces from reaching allied troops. This is the scenario of the Dynamic Front 25 exercise here in Finnish Arctic territory. When we come together as a NATO force, we need to make sure that we're able to work together and that means reacting to calls for fires quickly, accurately and ensuring that they're that they're lethal and achieve the aim. This exercise is the first large scale manoeuvre in Finland since the country joined NATO last year, dropping decades of military non alignment to seek the alliance's protection following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finnish forces are considered highly capable and well trained. Unlike many other European countries, Finland still has conscription for men during this exercise that's taking place only 130 kilometres or so from the Russian border. Finnish conscripts are supporting NATO troops with logistics. The main defender is still us defending ourselves. NATO is a big help in that. Yes, and gives us reassurance that we won't be alone next time if something does happen. I believe that we can we get some help from them. But mostly it's it's from us. So but it's it's good to have people in the back so we are stronger together. An exercise like this one is intended to send a message to Russia that the alliance is united and capable of defending its members. But how united are the allies? And with Donald Trump in the White House and NATO's skeptic who threatened to weaken the alliance, what will the US role in all of this be? And what does the future of the organization look like? But according to some here, this isn't a new discussion. I joined the Army 20 years ago and it was already a thing. 20 years later, we're still involved in NATO operation. We're still training with our partner. I'm not worried about that. Yeah, we are very solid and very valid structure, calm and self confident. That's how the artillery men and Mountaineers want to appear in Finland. The commanders here point out that the war in Ukraine has shown once again the importance of field artillery. It's artillery, they tell us, that wins wars.