Australia fires its first US-made Himars rocket system in military exercise
Singapore forces firing the same system in joint military exercises.
Armoured trucks with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) that can reach 400km (250 miles) are in high demand in the
Ukraine conflict and are also being acquired by US allies in the Indo-Pacific, including
Australia , which is reshaping its forces to respond to China's military build-up.
On the first day of Australia's largest military exercise Talisman Sabre, the US, Australia, Japan, France, South Korea and Singapore held a live-fire exercise in northern Queensland involving US F-35B fighter jets and land-based long-range strike rockets and missiles.
Up to 40,000 troops from 19 nations are taking part in Talisman Sabre, across thousands of kilometres from Australia's Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island to the Coral Sea on Australia's east coast.
The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is fired for the first time in front of members of the public as part of the Talisman Sabre joint military exercise in Australia on Monday. Photo: EPA
Australian Army Brigadier Nick Wilson, director general of the combined live-fire exercise, said it was the first time Australia, Singapore and the
United States had fired Himars together, and the first firing by Australia on home soil.
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