Lethbridge residents come face to face with howitzer

Lethbridge residents came face to face with a dragon Wednesday evening: the M777 howitzer artillery gun.

The gun, nicknamed “the Dragon,” weighs more than 9,000 pounds and was on full display for military enthusiasts to check out at the Vimy Ridge Armoury open house.

Staff with the 20th Independent Field Battery will train to use the gun while deployed on Operation Reassurance in Latvia in 2024-2025.

During the event, members of the public were also able to try on military equipment and learn about other guns and vehicles used by the battery.

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Commanding officer Maj. Robert Mein says not a lot of people know about the sheer size of the M777 howitzer gun.

“A gun like this traditionally could never be covered or carried by helicopter. It’s just too heavy. But this massive structure is made out of a lot of titanium,” said Mein. “It’s a very strong but lightweight metal and that keeps the weight down to a level that a Chinook helicopter could move it around quite quickly.”

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The 20th Independent Field Battery is actively looking for new recruits to join its ranks.

Reservists serve part time during evenings and weekends and there are options to be deployed on domestic and international operations.