U.S. Army conducts HIMARS training with Lithuanian forces

United States Army soldiers conducted HIMARS training with the Lithuanian Armed Forces on January 13 at the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade, Lithuania, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen NATO’s long-range precision-fire capabilities along the eastern flank.

The exercise involved crews from Task Force Pergale, Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Field Artillery Brigade.

According to the U.S. Army, Staff Sgt. Kenneth Stewart, a section chief assigned to the unit, oversaw the positioning and alignment of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers during the event. The Army stated that the training focused on maintaining launcher accuracy, validating crew procedures and supporting the readiness requirements of deployed U.S. field artillery units operating in Europe. The Pabradė training grounds provided a setting for coordinated drills between U.S. and Lithuanian artillery elements.

The M142 HIMARS is a wheeled launcher capable of firing guided rockets and the Army Tactical Missile System, offering mobile long-range firepower. The Army cited the training as part of its wider HIMARS initiative in Europe, which seeks to ensure rapid deployment, accurate target engagement and seamless integration with NATO partner forces. As noted by the service, the January 13 drills reinforced the ability of U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers to work together in a shared command-and-control framework.

The Army said the training included coordinated movement, launcher emplacement, digital fire-mission processing and communication procedures designed to maintain rapid-fire readiness. The service emphasized the role of combined exercises in improving interoperability, including the alignment of targeting processes and battlefield synchronization between U.S. and Lithuanian units. The event also supported requirements for precision-fire certification during rotational deployments.

The General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area is located near Lithuania’s border with Belarus and within reach of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. It has become a central location for U.S. and NATO exercises involving armor, artillery, and air-defense units. NATO forces routinely conduct training there to maintain readiness under the alliance’s enhanced forward-presence posture. The Army highlighted the location as critical for integrating mobile precision-fire capabilities with partner-nation defense structures.