HIMARS readily deployable in PHL

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 14): HIMARS readily deployable in PHL

The successful firing of the US HIMARS in Crow Valley Bombing and Gunnery Range Thursday proves that the weapon system can be readily deployable to any location the Philippines.

This was disclosed by Philippine "Balikatan" exercise director Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez in press briefing shortly after the live-fire exercise conducted by American and Filipino forces in Capas, Tarlac.

"Basically that's the main purpose of that, we can deploy the HIMARS in any part of the Philippines, (because it is) high mobile," he added.

HIMARS is short for "M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System", a US light multiple rocket launcher mounted on a standard Army medium tactical vehicle truck frame.

Around six HIMARS practice rockets were fired during Thursday's live-fire exercises which also demonstrated the American's M-777 towed 155mm howitzers.

It is the second time HIMARS was fired in Crow Valley, with the first being on April 4 where six reduced-range practice rockets were fired.

Should the Philippines acquired HIMARS in the near future, it can be used to neutralized any threat, Lopez added.

HIMARS has a range of 300 kilometers and can fire 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.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=876466