U.S. soldiers assigned to Task Force Shikra practice sling load operations by carrying a guided multiple-launch rocket system pod.
An Army UH-60A Blackhawk helicopter flies with a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) training load during training for Eager Lion 2024.
This multilateral exercise, hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, involves 33 participating nations and is a key element of the broader U.S. military relationship with the Jordanian Armed Forces. Eager Lion 2024 emphasizes the importance of operating in unfamiliar environments, leveraging collective strengths, and building trust among allied forces.
HIMARS has recently demonstrated its effectiveness in Ukraine, where it has been used to counter numerically superior Russian forces. Originally developed in the 1990s for the U.S. Army as a mobile artillery system, HIMARS has evolved to provide anti-aircraft protection and long-range precision strikes. Mounted on a five-ton truck, HIMARS can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System missile.
This highly mobile weapon system enables military forces to deliver precise munitions from up to 45 miles away, in all weather conditions. In dynamic battlefields, the rapid supply of ammunition is crucial, and helicopters like the Blackhawk are ideal for this purpose.
The U.S. Army utilizes the Blackhawk, while the Marine Corps employs the MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter to deliver rockets and shells directly to the front lines as needed.
Eager Lion 2024 showcases the value of these capabilities, demonstrating the strategic advantage of advanced logistics and rapid deployment in enhancing combat effectiveness.