Marines from the Okinawa-based 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division fired two High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers at the East Fuji Maneuver Area near Gotemba, Japan, on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year the platform has been live-fired at Camp Fuji.
A platoon of roughly 40 to 50 Marines operated the two launchers, firing two salvos of six reduced-range training rockets shortly before 2 p.m. local time. Air Force Col. John Severns, spokesman for U.S. Forces Japan, confirmed the details and said the drill prepares forces for bilateral exercises including Keen Edge and Valiant Shield. Japan’s Ministry of Defense coordinated the event, which required closing a public road between the firing position and the impact area.
ありがとうございます！
Here are some additional photos from after the live-fire training for reference: pic.twitter.com/2qN7I6IKV6
— Aaron-Matthew Lariosa (@AaronMatthew_L) May 19, 2026
“It demonstrates to everyone in the region, including potential adversaries, that we are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies in defense of Japan,” Severns said.
The exercise fits the Marine Corps’ Force Design emphasis on mobile, dispersed fires, with HIMARS designed to fire and immediately relocate to minimize exposure to counter-battery strikes and drone targeting.
The drill comes as HIMARS has seen growing operational significance across two theaters. U.S. Central Command confirmed in March the system fired Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) ballistic missiles and debuted the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) in combat during Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli strike campaign against Iran.
Taiwan signed $6.6 billion in U.S. arms deals in April that included HIMARS, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, and plans to deploy the system to Penghu County and Dongyin Island to restrict People’s Liberation Army access near the Taiwan Strait, a military source told the Taipei Times.
Marine and Army units also fired HIMARS during last month’s Balikatan exercise in the Philippines from northern Luzon and Palawan near the South China Sea.
