U.S. Army and Lithuanian Army artillery models have carried out superior interoperability coaching centred on employment of the M142 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) on the Pabrade coaching space in japanese Lithuania, close to NATO’s border with Belarus. The workouts targeted on synchronised long-range precision fires, digital command and management procedures, and speedy mobility ideas, all of that are vital to the USA’ rotational power posture within the Baltic area, a former a part of the Soviet Union now on the frontlines of hostilities in Europe. The coaching offered Lithuanian forces with sensible publicity to HIMARS operational workflows, as deliveries of the methods by the USA are anticipated to begin earlier than the top of the yr.
U.S. Army HIMARS had been deployed by Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Discipline Artillery Regiment, assigned to Activity Pressure Pergale underneath the forty first Discipline Artillery Brigade. Their operations targeted on core launcher operations fairly than symbolic demonstrations, together with pre-mission upkeep, radio procedures, crew coordination and exact launcher positioning. Workouts had been carried out as a part of the U.S. Army’s broader HIMARS initiative in Europe, which has targeted on enhancing interoperability and integration of the methods inside NATO formations. Inside Europe the system is at the moment operated by Estonia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine, whereas Italy, Latvia and Lithuania have all positioned orders. A major issue stopping extra widespread gross sales has been competitors from the South Korean Chunmoo rocket artillery system which might be delivered in a fraction of the time and carries significantly extra firepower on every launcher. Germany has additionally tried to foyer for gross sales of its EuroPULS system, albeit with little success.
HIMARS was designed to be employed for expeditionary operations by each the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps, and whereas deploying simply half the firepower of the heavier M270 system, its lightness ensures each excessive mobility, and ease of transport by air to strengthen American and allied ahead deployments internationally. HIMARS and different rocket artillery methods have performed a very central position within the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian Warfare, with the system having been used destroy vital infrastructure, launchers and radars from S-400 air defence methods, ballistic missile launchers, and different excessive worth targets far behind enemy traces. Probably the most notable successes achieved within the theatre was a strike on January 1, 2023, which killed 89 Russian navy personnel after hitting a brief barracks within the disputed Donetsk area.
The deployment of HIMARS to Lithuania intently coincides with the U.S. Armed Forces bigger scale workouts with the Australian Army simulating speedy HIMARS redeployments by air for operations throughout large areas. The rising numbers of HIMARS launchers deployed by European states has positioned rising stress on the defences of Russia and Belarus. The Polish Army in Might 2025 deployed the methods to Finland to take part in NATO’s Swift Response 25 navy workouts, as a part of a broader contribution that features personnel from each the first Rocket Brigade and the sixth Airborne Brigade. Every HIMARS launcher can deploy both six GMLRS rockets with 80 kilometre ranges, or an ATACMS ballistic missile with a variety exceeding 300 kilometres, with the latter permitting for precision strikes deep into Russian territory.
Belarus has confronted quick rising navy stress from NATO, with the U.S. Army in September 2025 having deployed 1st Armoured Division AH-64 Apache assault helicopters for deep strike live-fire workouts in Lithuania close to the Belarusian border. 4 months prior the German Army on Might 22 inaugurated the forty fifth Armoured Brigade stationed in Vilnius, Lithuania, offering an elite ahead deployed mechanised warfare functionality on the territory of the previous USSR simply 150 kilometres from the Belarusian capital Minsk. Belarus has seen its personal air defence capabilities considerably enhanced with the supply of S-400 lengthy vary methods from Russia from 2022, and in December operationalised Oreshnik intermediate vary hypersonic ballistic missile methods as a part of what was extensively interpreted as a response to the Western navy buildup.
