HIMARS Deployed to Japanese Firing Range; US Media Says New Missiles Could Strike Taiwan Strait Targets

(CNA Tokyo, 21st, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The U.S. military conducted a live-fire training yesterday using the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at a firing range near Mount Fuji, Japan. U.S. media pointed out that if HIMARS is paired with the newest missiles, it could easily strike targets in the Taiwan Strait from Japan or neighboring islands. The Asahi Shimbun reported that the range is the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Higashi-Fuji training ground, located in Shizuoka Prefecture at the foot of Mount Fuji. During the firing by U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, training ammunition flew over a national highway, creating loud noises. Additionally, local traffic control was implemented for the event. This is the second time since last October that the U.S. military has conducted HIMARS firing training at the Higashi-Fuji range. Media outlets, including the Asahi Shimbun, were permitted to cover the event from within the range. The report noted that HIMARS possesses long-range, high-precision strike capabilities, as well as high mobility. The U.S. military stated this helps strengthen regional deterrence and plans to continue training within Japan. However, the fact that the firing range crosses a national highway has also raised local concerns. When the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military conducted the same training last year, the local community agreed on the condition that it would be a 'one-time event'. However, the U.S. military's plan for another training session sparked local opposition. After coordination by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the local community ultimately accepted with conditions, including 'no more than twice a year' and 'traffic control no more than twice a day'. The Associated Press (AP) reported that the U.S. military stated the exercise aims to maintain proficiency with this weapon system. The U.S. military has already used HIMARS on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) previously stated that the system was also used in the initial strike against Iran earlier this year, firing a new type of rocket capable of hitting targets hundreds of miles away. The report pointed out that this is particularly significant in the Pacific region, where the U.S. hopes to deter China from a potential armed invasion of Taiwan. If HIMARS equipped with new missiles were deployed on Japan or other nearby islands, it could easily strike targets within the Taiwan Strait. However, HIMARS is typically equipped with shorter-range rockets, and this training exercise only used training warheads.