A Lithuanian service member participates in training on the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System alongside U.S. soldiers in Pabrade, Lithuania, on Jan. 13, 2026. The training was part of the Army’s HIMARS initiative to reinforce NATO defenses on the eastern flank. (Regina Koesters/U.S. Army)
U.S. soldiers training Lithuanian troops on an American precision-fire system that gained prominence on the battlefields of Ukraine reached a milestone this week as the Baltic NATO ally moves closer to fielding its own long-range precision fires.
Tuesday’s live-fire exercise using the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, capped months of side-by-side training and marked the culmination of the Lithuanians’ apprenticeship, the Army said in a statement Wednesday.
Soldiers from the 41st Field Artillery Brigade assigned to Task Force Pergale conducted the live fire.
“This training proves the crews are capable of accomplishing whatever their job may be and being able to provide long-range precision fires at a moment’s notice,” Capt. Richard Hiler, commander of Bravo Battery, said in the statement.
As part of V Corps’ HIMARS initiative, the apprenticeship program helped Lithuanian troops gain hands-on experience with the launcher, deepening alignment between U.S. and NATO defense plans.
The event at the Kairiai Training Area was designed to build crew proficiency in operating, maintaining and sustaining the system ahead of its expected arrival in the coming months, the Army said.
Lithuania is acquiring eight HIMARS launchers and associated munitions, with initial delivery expected sometime this year.
It will become the second Baltic state after Estonia to receive the system. Estonia received its first launchers in 2025.
The HIMARS training reflects a broader U.S. effort to rapidly build long-range firepower along NATO’s eastern flank, where the Russia-Ukraine war has increased pressure on frontline states to field systems capable of deterring the Kremlin.
Together with Latvia, the three Baltic countries are on track to field 20 launchers in the coming years, reflecting concern that they could be Russia’s next military target.
The HIMARS can fire guided rockets out to roughly 40 miles and Army Tactical Missile System ballistic missiles to about 180 miles. It integrates readily with U.S. and allied fire-control systems.
On the heels of the system’s well-publicized effectiveness in helping Ukrainian forces battle Russia, demand for the HIMARS soared among militaries in many parts of the globe.