Photo By Sgt. Rayonne Bissant | U.S. Airmen remove a ground power unit from a C-130 Hercules prior to departure during...... read more read more
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ITBAYAT, Philippines — U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment (Long Range Fires Battalion), Division Artillery, 25th Infantry Division, conducted a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) mission during Exercise Balikatan 2026, demonstrating the unit’s ability to employ and deploy long-range precision fires at Itbayat, Philippines, April 23.
The mission began at Clark Air Base, where a three-Soldier HIMARS team prepared for rapid deployment alongside U.S. Air Force personnel supporting the operation. The team then flew north to Itbayat Island, one of several islands in the northern Philippines, to conduct a dry-fire mission before returning to the air base.
The operation supported BK26, a U.S.-Philippines exercise focusing on strengthening cooperation, mutual trust, and regional security across the Indo-Pacific. Operating out of the host nation’s airstrip, Soldiers rehearsed their speed and the coordination required to operate within a shared operational environment across the region.
“From the island mountains to the dense jungles, we are committed to improving operational readiness alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said Staff Sgt. Jose Rivera-Flores, HIMARS crew team leader.
HIRAIN operations focus on three crucial aspects: Speed, flexibility, and the ability to project long-range combat power with a small footprint. This capability relies on coordination across many factors, including host nation support that enables access to the airstrip, flight crews, coordination, equipment readiness, and meeting movement timelines through effective communication on all fronts. The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ use of the airstrip and assistance from U.S. Air Force personnel enabled training that reflects real-world conditions and provided opportunities to enhance planning, logistics, and communication through realistic preparation.
“The importance of doing training like this is speed,” said Cpt. Marcus Denham, commander of Bravo Battery, “We want to be able to do these things as fast as possible; that's why it's called a rapid infiltration. The more that you train utilizing scenarios that are as realistic as possible, the better that you’ll be at it.”
The mission with Bravo Battery reinforces the Army’s commitment to supporting joint and multinational operations throughout the region. Conducted in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and supported by the U.S. Air Force personnel, the operation highlights the combined capabilities of allied forces working together in the Indo-Pacific. Training in locations such as Itbayat and Clark Air Base enables forces to refine their skills and operate as a unified combat force.
Denham highlighted that exercises like Balikatan provide opportunities to train outside of the unit’s standard operating environments and alongside U.S. allies.
“It is not something you get to do all the time, and it's one of the reasons we do Balikatan,” said Denham. “We are not doing our training in a bubble; we are collaborating with our partners in the Pacific on all levels to be able to train effectively in the region.”
Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2026 21:20 |
| Story ID: | 563959 |
| Location: | PH |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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