LATVIA: The U.S. Army has deployed advanced rocket artillery to Latvia as part of a Latvian national exercise. The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, arrived in Latvia on 26 September to participate in Exercise Silver Arrow 22.

The launchers were picked up from Germany by U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II transport aircraft based in the United Kingdom; they then flew to Liepāja Airport on the country’s western coast.

HIMARS gives NATO the ability to conduct powerful long-range precision strikes, and the US Army regularly deploys the system to the Baltics to train alongside NATO Allies. In recent years, US Special Operations Command Europe (US SOCEUR) has practiced rapidly deploying the system via the UK-based Commando II transports. Should a crisis occur, they will be able to rush HIMARS launchers nearly anywhere in Europe on short notice.

Footage includes shots of HIMARS rolling off a US MC-130J Commando II transport aircraft before live-firing across the Baltic Sea during exercise Silver Arrow.

^{PHOTO: NATO}