Photo By Staff Sgt. Skyler Combs | U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division execute a...... read more read more
COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER, CAMP FUJI, Japan — A light breeze rolled through the hills under the watchful slopes of Mount Fuji as U.S. Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, prepared to execute a successful High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launch on May 20, 2026. “Rockets!” The call rang out, followed soon after by a salvo of projectiles that pierced the sky and landed directly on target.
Utilizing equipment and ammunition transported by air and sealift, the exercise highlighted the joint capability to rapidly resupply HIMARS while operating in the challenging terrain of the East Fuji Maneuver Area. Adjacent to Camp Fuji’s Combined Arms Training Center, the site also offered Marines the opportunity to practice skills essential for maintaining a lethal, agile and credible force.
“Integrating HIMARS live-fire training at Camp Fuji not only enhances our readiness, but it clearly demonstrates our commitment to our Japanese allies,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Ryan Anness, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment commanding officer. “This exercise shows that HIMARS is a capable, mobile and accurate asset that can be employed anywhere in the Pacific.”
For the Marines on the ground, the exercise built cohesion and muscle memory. “Having the opportunity to conduct live-fire exercises is the best way for us to improve our precision and proficiency with HIMARS,” said USMC Sgt. Kevin Alvarez, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment HIMARS section chief. “There are a lot of factors involved, so we have to ensure everything is done correctly and the conditions are safe before we launch.”
The HIMARS system is among the most accurate in the Marine Corps arsenal, capable of engaging targets with high precision, then quickly maneuvering to new locations to maintain survival in a contested environment. During the exercise, Marines demonstrated the system’s high mobility to conceal themselves in tree lines before moving into open areas to fire.
“We are very thankful to the local community and Japanese partners for allowing us to have this opportunity,” said Anness. “We work closely with the Japanese government and military to minimize disruptions and we restrict our firing to specific time windows to accommodate the local community.” The training was the culmination of high-level coordination between U.S. Forces Japan, the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Japanese Ministry of Defense, underscoring a strong commitment to regional security and the advanced capabilities of the U.S.-Japan Alliance to project power in defense of the Indo-Pacific.
“As USFJ modernizes its command and control structures, exercises like this remain foundational to the U.S.-Japan Alliance,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, USFJ commander. “We are incredibly grateful for the continued partnership with the Ministry of Defense, the Government of Japan and the citizens of Japan, who are our greatest allies. The ability to conduct essential, realistic training at Camp Fuji ensures that our bond continues to grow, keeping our forces highly proficient, interoperable and always ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in defense of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2026 20:56 |
| Story ID: | 566279 |
| Location: | TOKYO, JP |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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