A firing practice contest of tactical artillery sub-units under the large combined units of the Korean People’s Army was conducted on August 11 according to the combat drill plan of the KPA General Staff for perfecting the capability to fight a war and battle readiness of the entire army.

The contest was aimed at strictly checking and judging the mastery of the artillery sub-units of the tactical units in the combat action methods for fire support, and at generalizing the example of the excellent units across the entire army.

The contest was overseen by Marshal Pak Jong Chon, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea and secretary of the WPK Central Committee.

He was accompanied by KPA Vice Marshal Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff.

The commanding officers of the KPA General Staff reviewed the contest.

The contest was attended by sub-units equipped with mortars of different calibres.

At the fire command of the commanding officers of the large combined units the mortar sub-units held the fire positions via the unfavourable obstacle area and, started to carry out the missions of hitting the different enemy targets and major facilities according to the tactical duty.

Amid the rapid gun fire, the artillerymen hit and destroyed the targets in the fixed time with the perfect marksmanship trained through intensive exercises for attaining the Party-set training goals of hitting the targets without test firing.

The firing practice contest fully verified the high combat ability and the regular combat readiness that the artillery sub-units of the tactical units improved while mastering rapid mobile and surprise operations as required by the Juche-based artillery tactics and steadily increasing the efficiency and operation of the artillery weapon systems in keeping with the aspect and development of modern warfare.

Ri Yong Gil made public the standings of the large combined units. A citation of master gunners was awarded to the 82 mm mortar battery of the 6th Battalion of the 55th Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the 9th Corps which won the contest with the highest score, and medals and badges of master gunners to its soldiers.

The firing practice contest of tactical artillery sub-units under the large combined units of the Korean People’s Army served as an occasion for demonstrating the strong will of the army to thoroughly contain military gangsters beyond the border and reliably defend the security and sovereignty of their inviolable state with overwhelming combat power.

KCNA