FEBRUARY 10, 2025 — U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, crews supporting Task Force Voit validated their ability to provide lethal, long-range, accurate fire on the battlefield on NATO’s Eastern flank on Jan. 27, 2025.
U.S. Army Soldiers from Able Battery, 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade with Task Force Voit moved to the snow-covered and muddy training ranges at Camp Tapa to conduct their annual artillery qualification tables with their HIMARS. This training ensures crews remain proficient and capable of providing long-range, accurate, precision fires for our NATO allies.
“Today, we’re doing certifications and qualifications for our crews to ensure that we are ready and prepared to deploy anywhere within the theater [of] operations here in Estonia,” said U.S. Army Maj. Adrian Betancourt, officer in charge, Task Force Voit.
To certify the HIMARS crews, they must complete six performance evaluations known as the Artillery Tables of Fire I through VI, or simply “tables”. These tables for crew certification include academic tests related to HIMARS operation and culminate in a final live-fire exercise. In Table VI, crews demonstrate their core competencies in field artillery by firing training rockets using different control methods. The crew certification process allows Battery Commanders to assess their units’ battle readiness. The newly formed Estonian HIMARS unit will undergo the same process to ensure its readiness.
“We do numerous touch points that have upcoming training with the Estonian HIMARS battery so that we can help guide them through their certification and qualification process,” said U.S. Army Capt. Matthew Rambin, battery commander, Able Battery, 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade.
In 2022, the U.S. State Department approved HIMARS sales to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania due to increased demand from NATO allies after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Estonian Center for Defense Investment stated that six HIMARS units were handed over at Lockheed Martin’s Arkansas facility on Jan. 13, 2025, and are en route to Estonia. Their arrival will give Estonia precise long-range artillery capabilities to strike deep behind enemy lines.
“We have a strong relationship here with the Estonians. We have been working with the Estonian HIMARS battery training them up with the HIMARS Academy and then also training them with the HIMARS itself,” said Betancourt.
Task Force Voit works closely with the Estonian Armed Forces, sharing critical defense strategies and providing invaluable training and military readiness support. The presence of U.S. troops in the region serves as a cornerstone of NATO’s commitment to the security architecture of the Baltic region.
By Staff Sgt. Joseph Novak