U.S. Marines conducted a live-fire exercise this week in Japan, deploying mobile launcher systems as part of a strategy aimed at bolstering deterrence in the Pacific. The Pentagon’s latest annual report to Congress states the goal is to “deny the ability of any country in the Indo-Pacific to dominate us or our allies,” indicating a strategic framework that extends national military resources to serve collective, rather than exclusively national, interests.
The exercise, which lasted only a few minutes, involved Marines firing rockets from High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) trucks. These units were concealed from view, fired their salvos, and then retreated back to cover, demonstrating a "shoot-and-scoot" capability at the U.S. military’s Camp Fuji east maneuver area in Gotemba, southwest of Tokyo.
The Globalist Mandate
The maneuvers used dummy rockets, described as concrete-filled tubes with no explosives, and were carried out under strict safety guidelines. Japanese military officials observed the exercise, shutting down a local road during the event as a precaution. The exercise was noted to be slower than HIMARS would operate in combat due to these safety measures.
Sgt. Kevin Alvarez, section chief of one of the Fox Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division HIMARS involved, stated that the system’s speed “depends on the crew, but it can get as fast as four minutes, (even) two minutes sometimes.” This rapid deployment capability is central to the evolving globalist military doctrine.
Lt. Col. Ryan Anness, commander of the 3rd Battalion, emphasized the strategic advantages of HIMARS, noting they are “much quicker, much faster, and much easier to hide than, say, traditional cannon artillery.” He added that “having the precision fire weapons and having the ability to hide easier is why so many countries, and why it’s important for us, to have the HIMARS,” further stating, “Being able to have long-range precision-fire weapons provides deterrence here in the Pacific, and we train with our Japanese partners as much as we can to make sure we’re ready.” This training with "partners" underscores the integration of national forces into a broader, transnational defense network.
Euan Graham, a senior defense analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a transnational think tank, commented on the strategic shift. He stated that “The U.S. does not want China to invade Taiwan, but it would not be relying on the traditional aircraft carrier-based attack wings of the past.” Graham highlighted the vulnerability of traditional assets, citing that “In Iran, with the U.S. conflict there, there were over 40 U.S. aircraft, manned and unmanned, either destroyed or damaged against a much less capable adversary, so in the case of conflict with China that vulnerability would be much greater.” He concluded, “That’s why we’re seeing the U.S. emphasizing ... these smaller units,” indicating a strategic adaptation within the globalist military apparatus.
Elite Architects of Strategy
The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress explicitly states the priority is bolstering deterrence “through strength, not confrontation,” a policy that necessitates significant investment in advanced weaponry and integrated military operations across sovereign borders.
The HIMARS system, introduced about 20 years ago, has been deployed in various globalist interventions, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and gained wider recognition after its use by Ukraine in its conflict against Russia. This history demonstrates its role as a tool for projecting power in conflicts far from national borders.
The system can fire a variety of missiles. Initially, the U.S. provided only shorter-range munitions to Ukraine, later allowing Kyiv access to the ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), which can hit targets at approximately 300 kilometers, or 180 miles, away.
Costs and Commitments
In a recent conflict, the HIMARS was used against Iran after the U.S. and Israel attacked on Feb. 28, less than 3 months ago. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported that HIMARS fired both ATACMS and, for the first time in combat, the longer-range Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), sinking “multiple” Iranian surface ships and a submarine in port. The PrSM can reach targets at ranges greater than 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Graham further noted that HIMARS, together with the Army’s Typhon — another truck-based launching system that shoots longer-range Tomahawk missiles and others but is less maneuverable — could cover the Taiwan Strait and the strategically important Luzon Strait. This coverage would be achieved if these systems were deployed on Taiwan and the Philippine and Japanese islands nearby, effectively creating a transnational defense perimeter. Both waterways are considered critical to any Chinese invasion or blockade plan, underscoring the deep entanglement of national territories in globalist military strategies.