Estonian Army's K9 Thunder howitzers complete Steel Rain III live-fire exercise

All 18 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers of Estonia's mobile artillery battalion took part in the Steel Rain III tactical live-fire exercise on Sunday, May 24. The drill, held at the Defence Forces Central Polygon, marked a historic milestone for the battalion as guns fired from two position areas at targets up to ten kilometres away.

Estonia's Defence Forces conducted a landmark tactical live-fire exercise called Steel Rain III (Terasvihm III) at the Central Polygon on Sunday, 24 May, marking a historic occasion for the mobile artillery battalion.

For the first time in the battalion's history, all 18 K9 Kõu (Thunder) self-propelled howitzers took part simultaneously, engaging targets from two separate firing positions. The targets, placed at distances of up to ten kilometres, were successfully destroyed during the exercise.

The K9 Thunder is a South Korean-designed 155mm self-propelled howitzer widely used by NATO member states. Estonia has invested heavily in this platform as part of its broader effort to build a credible conventional deterrent along NATO's eastern flank.

The Steel Rain series of exercises is designed to test the battalion's ability to coordinate mass fires across multiple position areas — a tactically demanding scenario that requires precise communication, logistics, and fire control. Completing the exercise with the full complement of 18 guns demonstrates a significant step forward in operational readiness.

The live-fire drill underscores Estonia's continued commitment to strengthening its land-based firepower as regional security tensions remain elevated. The Defence Forces have been expanding and modernising their artillery capabilities in recent years, with the mobile artillery battalion playing a central role in Estonia's defence planning.