Cannon Corner July 2008

While onsite at the 2008 Fires Seminar at Fort Sill in June, CannonArtillery.com caught up with artillery reporter Scott Gourley. Gourley is the North American editor for Military Logistics International, and a contributing writer for numerous defense publications including Jane’s Defense Weekly, ARMY Magazine and more. Listen to Gourley discuss his article on the future of fires that appears in the latest issue of ARMY Magazine.

CannonArtillery.com – I know one of the adventures you were just on was down in Fort Bliss and so you are very familiar with what is going on in the world of artillery, especially with Future Combat Systems and having been to Fort Bliss to see the Army Evaluation Task Force. I also know you have an article coming up for ARMY Magazine talking about the future of fires. So, maybe talk a little about what you’ve seen at Fort Bliss, what you’re hearing here at the Fires Seminar and what the focus of that article in ARMY Magazine is on the future of fires.

Gourley – Well thanks. Based on the visit to the Army Evaluation Task Force of 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division and in talking to some of the folks down there, COL Art Weeks is the commander of the force battalion down there, we are working on some of the initial spin out one equipment on FCS, the Non-Line-of-Sight Launch Systems specifically, they just came out of the field, have gotten some rave reviews on the work that they have done. Sort of refining the tactics, techniques and procedures that that system is going to challenge the Army with, and along the way, it sort of becomes evident that in terms of the field artillery, the future is now. And that’s what the ARMY Magazine article really opens with because not only do you have this moment, you are about to have the unveiling of the Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon system, another critical component for the future. And, they will be down at the Army Evaluation Task Force at that force battalion in the near future and they will then be working the TTPs on that system as well. Then the article goes out and says in addition to that, the field artillery is not resting on its laurels, we were looking at some of the truly future of technology, the next generation, the 2024 time frame and what might be out there. And we picked one representative technology that we looked at and that was electromagnetic propulsion and some of the cooperative work that the field artillery has been doing with the Navy on that recently.

CannonArtillery.com – That’s a good summary Scott and here at the Fires Seminar we have been getting a lot of questions about the Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon and a lot of people commenting about Excalibur being used in Iraq. It just seems like there is a lot of buzz in the artillery community right now. So, in your experiences here and both at Fort Bliss, what do you think is a general feeling about the artillery technology coming down the pike right now?

Gourley – Well, I think the general feeling is that it has to be on parallel paths. Yes, the technology is coming down the pike, but I think far too many people are overlooking the day to day, everyday role that is being played by the artillery. (Major) General Vangjel this morning talked about close to 70,000 rounds fired in Iraq and Afghanistan last year. The field artillery is playing a critical role every single day so there are new technologies coming and they are critical. The field artillery is facing these challenges along multiple paths right now.

CannonArtillery.com – I mentioned earlier that you definitely get to experience a lot of neat things in your profession as a journalist, spending time with both U.S. Military units as well as some International units. What have been some of the unique things you have gotten to do recently, whether it’s artillery or whether it’s something in the air, what is one of the more unique stories that our listeners might enjoy hearing?

Gourley – Last month I did about 12 days up in the Arctic, and did some stories with the Canadians, the Danes the Ukrainians and the U.S. Air Force. I spent a day at the site of Thule air base, which was great. Did some stories with the Canadians on Operation Boxtop which is the semi annual logistics re-supply of Canadian forces station alert. It’s about 400 miles from the North Pole. I believe it’s the furthest-most military installation on the planet. Twice a year they run a two week re-supply window where they fly C-130s 24/7 to get the supplies up there for those 70 hearty service members that serve that station of work.