U.S. Army conducts HIMARS live-fire exercise in Philippines during Balikatan 2026 with allied forces

U.S. Army forces conducted HIMARS live-fire missions during Balikatan 2026 in the Philippines, demonstrating precision long-range rocket artillery capability in the Indo-Pacific. The exercise involved allied forces and was conducted in a coastal scenario directly relevant to potential sea-denial and anti-access operations. HIMARS employment in the Philippines sends a clear deterrence signal regarding U.S. ground-based fires capacity in the first island chain. The exercise also evaluated interoperability between U.S. and Philippine Army fire control systems.