August 7, 2023
PHNOM PENH – More than 100 members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) took part in a recent artillery training course, which was supported by the Indian Army.
The exercises centred around the use of the 122mm D30 and 130mm M46 artillery pieces, with 54 soldiers participating in training for each weapon. The training took place from May 6 to August 4.
Pov Sokha, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Army and commander of the artillery headquarters, addressed the August 4 closing ceremony of the course, held at the headquarters of the Army Artillery Command in Kampong Chhnang province.
Also in attendance were Mao Sophan, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, and Indian ambassador Devyani Khobragade.
“This intense training included classroom study and field exercises. Each of the participants paid close attention to what they were being taught, and practised admirable self-guided study, often late into the night,” said Sokha.
Sophan applauded the results of the artillery exercises, noting that the participants had worked hard, overcome all difficulties and achieved great success.
He expressed his gratitude to India for helping Cambodia since the day of its liberation on January 7, 1979, saying that India also deployed many troops to take part in peacekeeping in 1993.
He considered the results of the training as a fruitful outcome of the cooperative agreement signed by the two nations’ armies in February this year.