You’ve got the eyes of a sniper if you can spot artillery gun in this optical illusion in five seconds | The Sun

YOU might have the eyes of a sniper if you can spot this huge artillery gun expertly camouflaged in the forest.

The mammoth British-made AS-90 Howitzer is almost completely invisible in the trees in this brain teaser.



Despite weighing a staggering 50 tons and 32 feet in length, it is nearly impossible to spot.

Can you see the huge artillery in its hiding place?

Here's a clue, look for the tip of the barrel.

Don't worry if you can't solve it, the answer is at the bottom of the page.

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The incredible pictures were taken at Tapa Camp in Estonia where The Sun went out to experience the NATO military drills taking place with UK involvement.

This British-made Howitzer was one of three self-propelled artillery guns taking part in exercises with NATO allies from Estonia, France, Germany, Denmark, and other nations, just 100 miles from the Russian border.

The exercises were designed to test out the capability of the AS-90 for use in the war in Ukraine.

They are one of the most powerful pieces of military hardware in the British Army's arsenal, with the power to destroy a building or wipe out a fleet of enemy tanks.

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The Sun spoke to Sergeant Cokely from the 19th regiment of the Scottish Gunners, the commander of one of the AS-90s being tested in the frozen fields of eastern Estonia.

He is one of the five-person crew each howitzer requires, and his role is to manage communications with other units across the battlefield.

The second-in-command preps the ammunition while the layer controls the direction of the turret.

Two loaders load the ammo and operate the power operating system, which sometimes has to be done manually.

The AS-90 has a combat weight of up to 50 tons, and is 32 feet long, almost 24 feet of which is the hull.

It is topped with a 20-foot barrel which fires 155mm high-explosive ammunition.

Sgt Cokely explains how the howitzer can fire a range of 24.7km, and that "a couple of rounds will take out a building".

The 660-litre fuel tank allows the huge piece of equipment to reach speeds of up to 34.5mph.

It can also travel up to 324km on a single tank of fuel.

The artillery gun also comes equipped with smoke charges and a 6.62mm belt-fed ammunition general-purpose machine gun.

Unlike a tank, the AS-90 can't fire while on the move.

Instead, Sgt Cokely explains, it "must stop and then engage," however, this process can be done in just a minute.

The camouflage is so expertly deployed that the howitzer can even avoid detection by drones.

Sgt Cokely's crew use normal camo netting as well as "live camo" made up of twigs and leaves taken from nearby trees, allowing them to blend in expertly with their surroundings.

This helps to hide the vehicle's heat signature, meaning it can't easily be spotted even with thermal imaging.

He went on: "If we get the call to fire, the guns will come out and engage the enemy there. When they're done, they will disappear back into the trees."

The AS-90s are just one of many pieces of equipment Britain is training its Ukrainian partners to use in the war against Putin's invading forces.

This week, Britain agreed to send long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine in a bid to turn the tide against Russia.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the long-range missiles will allow Ukraine to further push Vladimir Putin's forces back into Russia.

Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles can travel up to 600mph and blast targets up to 350 miles away.

It means the weapons could hit targets at maximum range in just 35 minutes – travelling nearly half the length of the UK.

"The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality," said Mr Wallace.

"Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself."







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