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For the first time, the A400M transport aircraft was used in conjunction with a HIMARS rocket artillery system (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) for a so-called HIRAN, as the US Army reported on July 15. A HIRAN is a “High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Infiltration”, i.e. the rapid movement of a rocket artillery system into its firing position by means of an aircraft and the subsequent relocation after the fire mission has been carried out.

The HIMARS is unloaded from the Belgian A400M and then moved to its firing position (Photo: MOD Latvia)

Die Übung hat im vergangenen Winter stattgefunden, im Rahmen der lettischen Übung „Winter Shield 2023“. Beteiligt war ein HIMARS des 3. Bataillons des 27. Feldartillerieregiments der US-Armee sowie ein A400M der belgischen Luftwaffe. Weiter heißt es im Bericht der US-Army, dass die Übung auf Vorbereitungen basierte, die im November 2023 gemeinsam mit dem 62. Lufttransportgeschwader der Luftwaffe durchgeführt wurden.  „Im Anschluss an den Beladungstest erstellten die Lademeister-Experten des deutschen Lufttransportgeschwaders 62 eine Reihe gemeinsamer Beladungspläne für alle A400M-Nationen [European Air Transport Command] für das HIMARS und das HMMWV der Führungseinheit des Zuges“, wird Captain Andrew Shaughnessy zitiert, Kommandeur im 27. Feldartillerieregiment.

In addition to the HIMARS, an HMMWV with a command facility was also flown to Latvia (Photo: MOD Latvia)

During the exercise, the HIMARS was transported by A400M from the US Rammstein Air Force Base to the Lielvarde Air Force Base in Latvia. During the transport, the artillery system was equipped with three live training rockets, which were fired at the Adazi training area. The HIMARS launcher then immediately relocated back to Germany.

The Belgian A400M with which HIMARS and the lead vehicle for the HIRAN were flown in (Photo: MOD Latvia)

“Given the numerous A400Ms in the NATO fleet and European Air Transport Command, this event has dramatically increased the number of transport aircraft capable of conducting HIRAINs within NATO,” concluded Captain Shaughnessy.

Editorial / oh

 

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