Tanks and training will make for a noisy two weeks near Base Gagetown

Residents near Base Gagetown should be aware it could get noisy in the surrounding area, said range control officer Danny Hone. 

Between 16 and 19 tanks on the base will start live-fire exercises Wednesday. They will run for the next 16 days.

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"All the units that are going to conduct live-fire exercises, they need to make sure their gunners and crew commanders all pass gateway training." 

The training involves pop-up targets gunners try to hit as quickly as possible. Six tanks will be involved at a time.

Fewer clouds will bring noise

"At the north edge of the base it's only about five kilometres from Oromocto," said Hone. 

According to Hone, this exercise isn't noisier than training exercises they do on the base during the summer, but with fall weather and the accompanying misty evenings, people are more likely to hear it.

When the cloud cover is low, Hone says, they usually get calls from people asking if they are doing anything different.

"We always assure people that everything we're doing is safe."

The training will go on even in the event of poor weather. It is arranged six months to a year in advance. 

There is also no avoiding night exercises, as soldiers have to be prepared to operate under darkness.