Automatic Grenade Launching System range open for business

December 20, 2022

Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Shilo continues to improve its capabilities as a leading Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) training facility with the recent opening of a state‑of‑the‑art range for C‑16 – Close Area Suppression Weapon (CASW) or Automatic Grenade Launching System (AGLS) range.

The new combined AGLS and Anti‑Tank Range will support training with all natures of C‑16 ammunition, Medium Anti‑Armour Weapon (MAW) and Light Anti‑Armour Weapon (LAW/M72 66 mm rocket launcher) ammunition. CFB Shilo lacked a range suited to training with AGLS and our existing Anti‑Tank range had very limited arcs of fire.  

The new range has more targets, targets placed at a wider range from the firing position (from 100 m to 1,500 m) and wider arcs of fire than the existing range.

As the use of MAW, LAW and C‑16 will produce unexploded ordnance, any land used for training will see an increased level of UXO contamination. As a result, the range boundary must be fenced off to limit access due to this increased risk.

According to Rob Shearer, acting ranges and training areas (RTA) manager, by creating a combined range for the two weapons systems we [Shilo] limited the amount of land that would be restricted from manoeuvre.

The “old” rocket range will have a change to its license to permit training rounds only. But that will actually result in the arcs of fire being widened to include all three available targets allowing weapons’ traces to stay within the RTA boundary.

Photos supplied