The United States Army (US Army) reinforced its long-range fire support capabilities in the Indo-Pacific this week with the arrival of new High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in Hawaii, which have been assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, known as “Tropic Lightning.” This was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense, which detailed that these artillery systems will replace part of the currently deployed towed howitzers, increasing the precision and range of the artillery brigades of the force in the region.
Taking that into account, the report mentions that a total of 16 MRLS-type launchers are expected to be incorporated as part of a structural modernization process that also includes personnel retraining and the reorganization of artillery units. This transformation falls under the new Army Transformation Initiative (ATI), officially launched in April 2025, with the goal of equipping the U.S. Army with greater mobility, lethality, and action capability in multi-domain environments. The Department of Defense also mentions that the established priority is to reinforce long-range fire and missile defense capabilities, especially in the Indo-Pacific theater, where Washington seeks to project its power and bolster its capabilities in response to actors such as China.
The arrival of the first HIMARS was recorded on July 14, marking the beginning of an integration process that will extend over the next six weeks until reaching the planned 16 systems. In total, three units and two support vehicles arrived aboard a U.S. Air Force C-5 Super Galaxy transport aircraft at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. In parallel, the 25th Infantry Division has also launched the conversion of its current intelligence, information, and electronic warfare battalion into a multi-domain fires unit.
Regarding the internal structure, the artillery brigade of the 25th Division will be reorganized to concentrate traditional systems in a single battalion, while the second will be completely transformed to operate HIMARS. The plan includes maintaining one battalion made up of two batteries with 105 mm M119 howitzers and one with 155 mm M777 howitzers, while the second will have two batteries with eight HIMARS launchers each. In this way, the report explains, a total of eight M119 howitzers and six M777s will be decommissioned, in a move that, according to its authorities, will significantly increase long-range firepower and joint support with other forces in multi-domain operations.
The incorporation of this new long-range capability underscores the strategic importance the U.S. Army places on the Indo-Pacific theater, particularly the first island chain, considered a key area in the event of a possible regional conflict scenario. The deployment of HIMARS in units such as the 25th Infantry Division responds to this operational need to project accurate fire from dispersed and hard-to-reach positions. As an illustrative precedent, during the Salaknib and Balikatan exercises held this year in the Philippines, U.S. forces rehearsed the agile deployment of HIMARS launchers, demonstrating their ability to position quickly in the face of future threats.
Finally, as part of the integration process of the new systems, field artillery specialists (MOS 13B) began transitioning to the role of HIMARS operators (MOS 13M). According to the U.S. Army, several have already completed their training with the National Guard, which would allow for qualified personnel to operate and maintain the launchers within the new combat frameworks.
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