HIMARS firing highlights this year's 'Balikatan' exercises

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 5): HIMARS firing highlights this year's 'Balikatan' exercises

American military units will be demonstrating the capabilities of their HIMARS platforms during the live-fire phase of this year's "Balikatan" exercise.

This will be held at the Crow Valley Range Complex in Tarlac this coming April 14, Philippine "Balikatan" public affairs office chief Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson.

HIMARS is short for "M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System".

It is a US light multiple rocket launcher mounted on a standard Army medium tactical vehicle truck frame.

Two HIMARS platforms are present in this year's "Balikatan" exercises.

US field testing of the platform began in 1998 and actual deployment in 2005.

HIMARS can carry six rockets or one MGM-140 ATACMS missile on the US Army's new family of medium tactical vehicles five-ton truck, and can launch the entire multiple launch rocket system family of munitions.

It is interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1, carrying half the rocket load. The launcher is C-130 transportable.

Each HIMARS platform is worth over USD5 million.

Inert rocket rounds will be fired from the United States' HIMARS mobile artillery platform for the live-fire phase of this year's "Balikatan" exercises.

Major Gen. Rodolfo Santiago, Philippine "Balikatan" assistant exercise director, earlier said inert rocket rounds will be used in the live-fire exercises.

"(American units) will not be firing live rockets (during the April 14 live-fire exercise in Crow Valley, Tarlac) as it is expensive and we do not need to see the actual effects (of the rocket when it hits its target) Inert rockets will be use demonstrate on HIMARS is fired in the field," Santiago said in Filipino.

Rockets are said to be inert when stripped of all explosives and other active materials.

He also stressed that the HIMARS is not addressing any specific threat during "Balikatan" and merely being utilized to give Filipino forces a first-hand look on a modern artillery rocket system and its capabilities.

"'Balikatan' is an opportunity to test, to experiment on systems that may be utilized to develop our capabilities. I am not saying that there are plans to acquire it but this looks good (for the Armed Forces of the Philippines) as (HIMARS) is relative cheap," Santiago pointed out.

"Balikatan 2016" formally opened on Monday and will end on April 15.

An estimated 3,773 Filipino soldiers and 4,904 US troops will take part in the two-week military maneuvers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=873355