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U.S. Army and Lithuanian Forces Conduct HIMARS Rocket Artillery Training Near Belarus.
U.S. Army artillery units deployed to Lithuania carried out joint M142 HIMARS training with the Lithuanian Armed Forces at the Pabradė training area in eastern Lithuania. The exercise reinforces NATO interoperability and supports Lithuania’s preparation to field its own long-range precision fires capability along a strategically sensitive border with Belarus.
U.S. Army artillery soldiers conducted advanced interoperability training with the Lithuanian Armed Forces on January 14, 2026, centered on employment of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a joint exercise at the Pabradė training area in eastern Lithuania. The event, documented through an official U.S. Army image release published on DVIDS, underscored sustained efforts to synchronize allied long-range precision fires, digital command and control procedures, and rapid mobility concepts as part of the United States’ rotational force posture in the Baltic region. The training also provided Lithuanian forces with practical exposure to HIMARS operational workflows as the country moves closer to fielding its own system, strengthening collective deterrence along NATO’s northeastern flank near Belarus.
U.S. Army HIMARS artillery units trained alongside the Lithuanian Armed Forces in eastern Lithuania, reinforcing allied long-range fires interoperability and deterrence readiness near the Belarusian border (Picture Source: DVIDS)
The training took place on January 13 at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area near Pabradė and involved U.S. Army soldiers from Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, assigned to Task Force Pergale under the 41st Field Artillery Brigade. According to the official release, the activity focused on core launcher operations rather than symbolic demonstrations, including pre-mission maintenance, radio procedures, crew coordination and precise launcher positioning. These elements are critical for a system designed to operate under time pressure, deliver accurate fires, and relocate rapidly before an adversary can respond. Conducted as part of the U.S. Army’s broader HIMARS initiative in Europe, the training aimed to improve interoperability and the integration of highly mobile, long-range precision fires within NATO formations.
The M142 HIMARS has emerged as a central element of U.S. and allied long-range fires doctrine by combining mobility, precision, and modularity in a relatively compact system. Mounted on a wheeled chassis, the launcher can deploy rapidly by road, conduct a firing mission, and displace within minutes, significantly reducing exposure to counter-battery fire. Built around a modular pod concept, HIMARS concentrates long-range precision effects into a small logistical footprint while remaining highly responsive under conditions of persistent surveillance. According to Lockheed Martin, a single launcher can fire up to six GMLRS rockets, two Precision Strike Missiles, or one ATACMS missile depending on the pod, allowing the same platform to support counter-battery fire, deep strikes, and time-sensitive targeting without changing its base configuration.
This flexibility is reinforced by the evolving family of munitions that constitutes the system’s primary force multiplier. GMLRS already provides precision strike capability at ranges of 70 km and beyond, while the Extended-Range GMLRS concept roughly doubles that reach to around 150 km, expanding the area a dispersed battery can influence. At the same time, U.S. Army program updates for the Precision Strike Missile indicate planned ranges exceeding 400 km, highlighting the trajectory of the HIMARS ecosystem as forces modernize their long-range fires to counter anti-access and area-denial strategies. Together, these characteristics explain why HIMARS is particularly relevant for dispersed operations on NATO’s eastern flank, where wide-area coverage must be balanced with survivability against modern reconnaissance and strike capabilities.
Operational experience has shaped the system’s reputation. HIMARS entered U.S. service in the early 2000s and has been employed in expeditionary contexts by both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Its effectiveness in delivering precision fires with a limited logistical footprint has driven growing interest among European allies, including Lithuania, which has committed to acquiring the system as part of its effort to strengthen national and allied deterrence. For Lithuanian forces, training alongside U.S. crews before full national fielding accelerates the development of procedures, command-and-control habits and sustainment practices that cannot be improvised during a crisis.
The timing also suggests deliberate layering of readiness activities in Lithuania rather than isolated events. This week, Army Recognition Group separately described winter live-fire training by U.S. armored crews with M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles at the same Lithuanian training area near Pabradė, highlighting cold-weather procedures and deterrence readiness in a region sensitive for both Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave. The armored gunnery and rocket-artillery interoperability point to a combined-arms pattern: maneuver forces practicing to fight in harsh Baltic conditions while long-range fires units refine the ability to integrate precision effects across national lines.
From a tactical perspective, HIMARS offers clear advantages in Lithuania’s geographic context. Its mobility allows launchers to operate from multiple firing points, complicating targeting by an adversary and preserving combat power. Precision-guided munitions enable the engagement of high-value targets at significant distance, supporting deterrence by denial rather than reliance on massed forces forward. Just as important, the system’s effectiveness depends on secure communications and coordinated targeting, making joint radio procedures and crew drills as decisive as the launcher itself.
The strategic implications extend beyond Lithuania alone. For Vilnius, repeated joint training strengthens the credibility of its future HIMARS capability and shortens the timeline between delivery and operational readiness. For the United States, the activity reinforces its role as an enabler of allied long-range fires integration in Europe, demonstrating that U.S. artillery units can operate seamlessly with partner forces under NATO frameworks. At the Alliance level, such training contributes to a more coherent deterrence posture on the eastern flank, where rapid reaction and integrated fires are essential to offset numerical or geographic disadvantages.
The HIMARS drills conducted with Lithuanian forces illustrate how deterrence in the Baltic region is being built through sustained, practical cooperation rather than one-off deployments. By embedding interoperability at the crew and unit level well ahead of any crisis, NATO is reinforcing a posture in which long-range precision fires are not an exceptional capability, but a routine and credible element of collective defense close to its most exposed borders.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.