HIMARS Drills in Palawan: On April 27, soldiers from the U.S. Army took part in a live-fire HIMARS drill in Palawan, Philippines, during Balikatan 2026. The unit involved was the 5th Battalion, 3rd Artillery Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. The exercise was done with U.S. Marines, Philippine marines, and Australian soldiers as part of a counter-landing drill. The idea was to stop a mock enemy force trying to come ashore across sea and coastal areas.
The HIMARS system moved out from a hidden spot and rolled onto a beach before firing four Reduced Range Practice Rockets. The drill showed how the launcher can move fast and still hit with accuracy in a tough place like a shoreline battlefield. Alpha Battery soldiers carried out the live-fire part and finished the mission with good speed and teamwork.
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Alexander Mullin on the Drill
The exercise was not only about firing rockets. It was also about working together across countries. U.S. Army commander Alexander Mullin said, “Today what we demonstrated was the absolute power that the land component brings to the fight in the pacific.” He also added, “Huge gains were made with the interoperability between the nations’ forces, communication and coordination of multiple fires were on full display during the exercise.”
Mullin also explained the bigger idea behind the drill by saying, “Through being here we are demonstrating the cross-domain contact layer concept, which is our ability to provide a covering force in the pacific and achieve decisive effects.” That concept mixes sensing, effects, and AI-enabled command and control across more than one battlefield domain.
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Hard Travel, Hard Training, Real Readiness
Getting the HIMARS systems into position was not easy. The movements had to be planned carefully with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The teams also had to follow local rules and fit their movement around roads, terrain, and other limits. The route went through jungle areas, mountains, and sandy coastlines, so the troops needed strong coordination and steady awareness the whole time.
Alpha Battery’s Shawn Washburn said, “All the live fires that we have done could not have been done without the support of the Philippine marines and the Philippine Army as we make our movements across the country,”. The soldiers also trained in tropical weather, which helped them build endurance and adjust to difficult field conditions.
