A new long-range precision fires capability is heading to the Army’s Indo-Pacific stronghold, the commander of the 25th Infantry Division told reporters Tuesday, as part of the Army’s transformation initiative to divest of old technology and field more powerful systems across the service.
The division’s artillery brigade is preparing to integrate 16 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems over the next six weeks, said Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans. Their first system arrived Monday.
“Really, what this means for the division that, as a Transformation-in-Contact division, is that we are integrating in long-range precision fires that increases the ability to extend our operational reach,” Evans said. “It also provides us a platform that we can better protect ourselves with, because we can shoot and then we can rapidly move to an area that affords us better protection.”
The Army has been looking for the right ways to integrate HIMARS’ capabilities into more units, U.S. Army Pacific Command’s theater fires element director told reporters.
The HIMARS move shot to the top of the list once the Pentagon released its interim national defense strategy earlier this year, as a signal to China and U.S. allies that the Army is committed to having its most powerful equipment in the Indo-Pacific.
“We will bring it in mass, quantity and volume, and we will put it in our best units to experiment with, test with, and be ready to employ as the need comes,” Col. Jonathan Harvey said.
Bringing in HIMARS will mean phasing out some of the towed Howitzers 25th ID has now while training those operators and maintainers to work with HIMARS instead; two cannon battalions will merge to open up space for the new HIMARS battalion.
Seventy-three soldiers have volunteered to convert their military occupation specialties, Command Sgt. Maj. Shaun Curry told reporters.
The division will test the effectiveness of its new addition at a Joint Pacific Multinational Training Center rotation this fall, Evans said, alongside new infantry squad vehicles and reconnaissance drones.
Asked what other wish list items 25th ID has for its role in Army transformation, Evans said the division is continuing to provide the Army with feedback for its counter-unmanned aerial systems and electronic warfare systems procurement.
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