U.S. Army Deploys HIMARS to Philippines Balikatan 2026
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- U.S. Army deployed M142 High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS) to Balabac island in the Philippines during Balikatan 2026, marking the first HIMARS fire on the island.
- Dan Driscoll said the launch demonstrates strengthened regional deterrence and secures the Balabac Strait, a key maritime chokepoint.
- HIMARS can fire Precision Strike Missiles and future extended‑range maritime strike variants, giving the U.S. long‑range strike capability against Chinese artificial islands in the South China Sea.
- Balabac is one of nine sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement where U.S. forces can operate, expanding the U.S. reach toward the South China Sea.
- U.S. Army Pacific watercraft enable “island hopping” of missile launchers, creating a distributed lethal network across the Indo‑Pacific as part of multi‑domain operations.
Why it matters: The Philippines gains forward‑deployed HIMARS that can strike Chinese outposts, tightening U.S. deterrence, while China confronts a new threat; the deployment uses one of nine EDCA sites, deepening U.S. military footprint.
