US HIMARS ROCKETS Stationed in Europe Lethal and Mobile
Part 1 - HIMARS: Lethality in Unity
“U.S. Army Europe and Africa provided ready, combat-credible forces for its Swedish partner and Latvian ally for both country's respective bilateral field artillery live-fire training happening simultaneously in Vidsel Test Range, Sweden, and Liepaja, Latvia, Sept. 27, 2022. This continues to demonstrate the multifaceted capabilities of the senior U.S. Army command in Europe while further developing interoperable solutions, and enhancing readiness and lethality.
Part 2 - HIMARS HI-RAIN
“U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, participate in a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Infiltration exercise at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 20, 2020. This exercise allowed the Marines to increase their proficiency in mobilizing from an aircraft to a firing location, executing a firing mission, and quickly exfiltrate to receive future missions.
Part 3 - HIMARS LCU Exercise
“U.S marine Corps and Army service members conduct a joint Landing Craft Unit (LCU) loading exercise, at Kin Red, on October 31, 2019. The branches worked together using both of their assets to be able to transport a HIMARS to anywhere in the world with access to a beach.
Part 4 - HIMARS
“A short video depicting the HIMARS weapons system conducting live fire exercises during Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-12.”
Source: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
Video courtesy of Video by USMC LCpl Moises Rodriguez, USMC Cpl. Jacob Hancock, US Army Spc. Dean Johnson, Cpl. Brandon Ponyah and Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
“The M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army and mounted on a standard United States Army Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) truck frame.
“The HIMARS carries one pod with either six GMLRS rockets or one ATACMS missile. It is based on the United States Army's FMTV five-ton truck, and is capable of launching all rockets specified in the Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions (MFOM). HIMARS ammunition pods are interchangeable with the M270 MLRS; however, it is limited to a single pod as opposed to the standard two for the M270 and its variants.
“The launcher can be transported by Airbus A400M Atlas and Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The FMTV truck that transports the HIMARS was initially produced by BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems (formerly Armor Holdings Aerospace and Defense Group Tactical Vehicle Systems Division), the original equipment manufacturer of the FMTV. It was produced by the Oshkosh Corporation from 2010 to 2017. Usage in the Russo-Ukrainian War has led to production being restarted for over a dozen nations.
“The requirement for HIMARS first came about in 1982, when the 9th Infantry Division (Motorized) saw the need to acquire a light multiple rocket launcher as a counterfire asset, but the requirement failed to gather support from the Field Artillery School and languished for a number of years. The institutional bias at the time was oriented towards heavy forces. However, with the waning of the Cold War and the growing interest in low-intensity operations, both Field Artillery School and Missile Command realized that the M270 MLRS was too heavy for rapid deployment and pushed for the funding of HIMARS. The Gulf War gave a further incentive towards fielding a lightweight MLRS, when the M270 proved too costly in airlift assets to deploy in theater and the launchers did not arrive with the initial wave of U.S. troops. The HIMARS concept was tested on April 1991 at White Sands Missile Range, using a modified Honest John launcher.
“Proof-of-concept prototype of HIMARS at White Sands Missile Range, April 1991
HIMARS was then developed as a private venture by Loral Vought Systems (later Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control) to meet this requirement. The system first appeared publicly in 1993. In 1996, the U.S. Army Missile Command awarded Lockheed Martin a $23.2 million contract to build four prototypes. The vehicles were delivered to the XVIII Airborne Corps in April 1998 for a two-year evaluation with 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment. In July 1998, the Army conducted a test firing of the ATACMS. In December 1999, the Aviation and Missile Command awarded Lockheed Martin a $65 million contract for engineering and manufacturing development. Under this contract, Lockheed Martin delivered six HIMARS in late 2001 for Army evaluation. In April 2003, the Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $96 million contract to begin low rate initial production. Around this time, the Marine Corps placed an order for two units for evaluation purposes.”
Source: Wikipedia