APRIL 21, 2026 — For the first time in its history, the 25th Infantry Division was able to successfully and rapidly forward-deploy a full high mobility launch rocket system in the Philippines. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jonathan Velishka, deputy commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, explained how remarkable it was that the battalion was able to accomplish the live-fire on seemingly short notice.
“The division only fielded this capability last July [2025],” said Velishka. “From July to today, the 25th Infantry Division Artillery has integrated a new set of battalion equipment, trained [its] Soldiers, and then been able to forward deploy here to conduct section qualification and certification.”
It was the 2nd Battalion, 11th Long Range Fires Battalion that took on this challenge for the division. From April 15 to 16, they rapidly moved to Canantong to conduct Table V and Table VI of the HIMARS weapon system.
It all begins in the staging area where the U.S. Soldiers inspect the pods and use auxiliary systems to load them into the HIMARS. From there, they move to the firing positions where they receive precise targeting data that specifies their impact area. After final checks, the system ignites, projecting precision-guided rockets to an impact area more than nine kilometers away. The battalion shot 12 rockets before an audience of over a hundred Philippine military personnel, civilians and media representatives to watch.
This live-fire would not have happened without the support of the Philippine Army. To execute a successful HIMARS operation, the Philippine Army worked to secure both the firing point and the impact area to ensure the exercise could be conducted safely. Helping make it was Maj. Gen. Michael Logico, the commanding general of the Training and Doctrine Command, Philippine Army.
“It is a sight to see when we see this weapon system being fired,” said Logico. “It is new for the Philippine Army and it’s good [to become] familiar with it.”
This was also a first for the Philippine Army. Though they have hosted HIMARS before with other U.S. Army units — the 7th Infantry Division out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord for example — this was the first time a HIMARS system had been fired from that location in Laur. This not only introduced new training doctrine and possibilities for the Philippine Army, but also required designating all new impact areas, firing lanes and firing points that were completely new to the military.
Logico used the analogy of training for the Olympics to illustrate why working with partner forces is so important. He explained that even if swimmers bought the same resources and followed the same plans on paper, they will still only get so far.
“You’re not gonna be a world-class swimmer unless you train with a world-class partner,” said Logico. “If you start training among yourselves, you’re only going to be as good as the local competition.”
As Exercise Salaknib 26 continues, the successful live-fire at Jungle Base stands as a testament to the growing interoperability between U.S. and Philippine forces. It demonstrated not only the rapid integration of new capabilities, but the strength of an alliance committed to training, learning, and advancing together.
By Staff Sgt. Jameson Harris