Latest news with #M142HighMobilityArtilleryRocketSystem
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US and Allied Drills Counter China's Island-Taking Tactics
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States and its allies in the Pacific Ocean, the Philippines and Australia, held a live-fire drill to counter China's island landing operations in the disputed South China Sea. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters The U.S. and the Philippines, which have formed an alliance under a mutual defense treaty, are conducting Exercise Balikatan—their largest annual war game—in the Southeast Asian archipelagic country from April 21 to May 9, with the involvement of Australia and Japan. This comes as China asserts sovereignty over most of the territories in the South China Sea. Beijing's claims overlap with those of neighboring nations. Last week, Chinese personnel displayed a national flag on an uninhabited feature near a Philippine island in the region. What To Know In a set of photos released on Thursday, the U.S. and Philippine Marines, as well as soldiers from the Australian army, fired artillery weapons at a floating target during a counter-landing exercise in Rizal, located on the island of Palawan in southwestern Philippines, on Monday. Philippine Marines fire an artillery weapon as part of a counter-landing live fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Philippine Marines fire an artillery weapon as part of a counter-landing live fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Spc. Riley Anfinson/U.S. Army Reserve Exercise Balikatan strengthened the U.S.-Philippine alliance and its "capable combined force," the photo captions read, displaying the allies' commitment to regional security and stability. The exercise also saw the participation of the U.S. Army, which mobilized the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The rocket launcher is capable of projecting "precise, long-range fire" while quickly maneuvering in and out of operational environments. The allied counter-landing exercise comes as the Chinese military released a video showing its four amphibious warships, which are capable of projecting ground and air power during island-landing campaigns, forming a landing ship flotilla for training in the South China Sea. During Exercise Balikatan, the U.S. military employed new, advanced weapons for the first time, including the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). This U.S. Marine Corps' anti-ship missile system was deployed near the Luzon Strait on April 26. Philippine Marines, Australian soldiers, and United States Marines fire at a floating target during a counter-landing live-fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Philippine Marines, Australian soldiers, and United States Marines fire at a floating target during a counter-landing live-fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Spc. Riley Anfinson/U.S. Army Reserve Meanwhile, the U.S. Army tested its directed energy weapon during an integrated air and missile defense drill on Monday. The Integrated Fires Protection Capability High-Powered Microwave (IFPC-HPM) emits microwave energy to disrupt, disable or destroy drones. What People Are Saying Lieutenant General James F. Glynn, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, said: "Together with our steadfast allies in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and with the growing involvement of nations with shared vital interests, like Australia and Japan, we are operating as a force with mutually supporting capabilities ready to meet challenges in the region and defend a free and open Indo-Pacific." Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said: "We always hold that military cooperation between countries should not target or hurt the interests of any third party, nor should it jeopardize regional peace and stability ... However, the Philippines holds a candle to the devil by currying favor and colluding with the US and other outside countries." What Happens Next Both the U.S. and the Philippines, as well as China, are expected to continue flexing their military power in and around the South China Sea as Manila and Beijing refuse to back down over the sovereignty disputes in the contested waters.
South China Morning Post
30-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US, Philippines flex military muscle with Himars live-fire drills near South China Sea
Long-time allies the United States and the Philippines have flexed their military muscle by firing six rockets in a defence drill on Palawan Island, in a show of sustained American commitment to Manila. Advertisement Defence experts say the show of strength from the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) could signal its potential long-term deployment, much like the Typhon arsenal that previously raised China 's ire. They caution however that it would be premature to consider it as sign of a golden age in US-Philippine relations under President Donald Trump On Monday, about 500 troops from the Philippines , the US and Australia conducted a maritime interdiction drill in Rizal, where Manila's navy intercepted a remote-controlled vessel approaching the coast. Part of this year's ongoing large-scale Balikatan – or shoulder to shoulder – exercise, the drill culminated in a precision strike showcasing the Himars system's quick and accurate response to amphibious threats. Advertisement 'We achieved everything we set out to achieve,' US Marines commander Major General Thomas Savage told reporters. 'We're trying to demonstrate a capability to work together. The exercise you saw is agnostic of an enemy. If somebody is trying to interfere with a sovereign nation, that's what we're trying to demonstrate.'
Ya Biladi
12-02-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Over $8.5 billion in defense deals : How Morocco and the U.S. strengthened military ties
Morocco and the United States have enjoyed a thriving security and defense cooperation in the last two decades, culminating in a series of military purchases, joint security operations, and exercises. Over the years, Morocco has become the largest purchaser of U.S. military equipment in Africa. Data shared in January 2025 by the U.S. Department of State reveals that the United States has $8.545 billion in active government-to-government sales cases with Rabat under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system. The FMS program is a U.S. government security assistance initiative that facilitates the purchase of U.S. arms, defense equipment, design and construction services, and military training by foreign governments. Recent major defense purchases made by Morocco under the FMS system include 18 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, 40 AGM-154C Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOW), six Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS), ten GM-84L Harpoon Block II Air-Launched missiles, 25 F-16C/D Block 72 aircraft, 5,810 MK82-1 bombs, 36 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, eight AN/MPQ-64F1 SENTINEL Radars, 20 AIM-9X-2 SIDEWINDER Missiles, three CH-47D CHINOOK Helicopters, 40 LAU-129A Launchers with 20 AGM-65D MAVERICK Missiles, and a Gulfstream G-550 aircraft. Looking back, the U.S. Department of State indicates that since 2013, Morocco has received equipment worth $478 million under the Department of Defense's Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. This initiative transfers surplus U.S. military equipment to allied and partner nations at reduced or no cost. According to the report, this includes 222 M1A1 Abrams tanks, two C-130H aircraft, and 600 M113A3 Armored Personnel Carriers. Between fiscal years 2018 and 2022, over $167 million worth of defense articles were exported to Morocco through the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) process, which allows foreign governments to purchase defense equipment, services, or technology directly from U.S. defense contractors rather than through the FMS. The top three defense exports Morocco ordered through the DCS were military electronics, gas turbine engines and associated equipment, and fire control, laser, imaging, and guidance equipment. In addition to defense purchases, the U.S. has also assisted Morocco through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), a U.S. government grant and loan program that helps allied and partner nations acquire U.S. defense equipment, services, and training. Since 2012, the U.S. has granted Morocco $135 million in FMF, which has helped Rabat maintain U.S.-origin defense articles, boost maritime surveillance to address illegal immigration, smuggling, drug trafficking, and illicit fishing, procure transport and logistics equipment, and upgrade aerial surveillance. American military assistance to Morocco also includes training and education under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, which provides funded military education and training to foreign military personnel. Since 2006, Morocco has received a total of $32 million for IMET, allowing Moroccan students to attend Professional Military Education courses at U.S. service schools annually. Beyond these U.S. military programs, Morocco has leveraged its Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status, designated in 2004, to engage in cooperative research and development, reciprocally funded training, and enhanced defense collaboration. Since the late 1990s, Morocco has hosted the AFRICAN LION training exercise, bringing together U.S. and Moroccan forces alongside participants from over twenty countries and NATO for joint training. Under U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) since 2008, African Lion has grown into the largest joint military exercise on the continent, with thousands of troops participating annually. Additionally, since 2003, Morocco has maintained a training partnership with the Utah National Guard under the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program, which provides specialized training and exchange opportunities with the Moroccan Armed Forces.
