US test fires HIMARS in Japan during Orient Shield exercise | Taiwan News

HIMARS launcher in firing place (Lockheed Martin picture)
HIMARS launcher in firing place (Lockheed Martin picture)

TAIPEI (Taiwan Information) — The U.S. Military stated on Wednesday (July 7) that it fired a Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Japan for the primary time.

A separate department of the U.S. army, the Marine Corps had beforehand fired a HIMARS in 2020 throughout the bilateral train Northern Viper with Japanese troops in Hokkaido, Stars and Stripes reported.

Military troopers fired the weapon between June 28-30 as a part of the Orient Protect train, which concludes Thursday, based on U.S. Military Japan Spokesman Main Elias Chelala. He added HIMARS had been taken to the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, on the logistics ship USNS Fisher.

The U.S. approved the potential sale of 11 HIMARS launchers and 64 M57 Unitary Missiles to Taiwan in October 2020. These rocket methods will assist the East Asian nation replace its army functionality whereas additional enhancing interoperability with america and different allies, the U.S. Protection Safety Cooperation Company stated.

This yr’s Orient Protect is the thirty sixth iteration of an train that goals to “improve interoperability and take a look at and refine multi-domain and cross-domain operations,” based on the Orient Protect Facebook page. The coaching has thus far included cyber and house capabilities however principally targeted on “long-range fires, aviation, floor operations and motion of apparatus by sea,” Chelala stated.

The train comes amid rising Chinese language aggression towards Taiwan, which has precipitated main concern in Washington and Tokyo. State Division Spokesperson Ned Value on Wednesday said that Washington has “repeatedly urged Beijing to stop its army, its diplomatic, its financial strain in opposition to Taiwan and as an alternative to have interaction in significant dialogue with Taiwan.”

In the meantime, Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro said on Tuesday that Tokyo “must defend Taiwan” if China invaded. He later walked again his assertion, saying Japan is “carefully monitoring the scenario.”