US Marines from 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, carried out High Mobility Artillery Rocket System live-fire training at the Combined Arms Training Centre, Camp Fuji, Japan, on 27 October, the division said.
The exercise marked what the U.S. Marine Corps described as a significant expansion of Camp Fuji’s ability to support long-range precision fires and highlighted the United States’ commitment to maintaining readiness and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
Camp Fuji has been a key training site for the Marine Corps since 1953, hosting major exercises such as Fuji Viper and Shinka. The site offers terrain and range space suited to artillery and combined-arms operations, as well as the infrastructure required to conduct high-intensity rocket launches safely. HIMARS training there, according to the Marine Corps, helps sharpen unit proficiency in targeting, coordination and rapid mobility.
Lieutenant Colonel Frank Mastromauro, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, said “the HIMARS live fire training opportunity at Camp Fuji is essential for the lethality of our battalion. This exercise enables our Marines to rehearse critical tasks, refine our procedures, and demonstrate deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, contributing to the stability of our allies.”
The HIMARS launcher, a long-range rocket artillery system capable of rapid deployment and precision engagement, enables the division to project firepower across new terrain.
Major General Kyle Ellison, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Division, said “training at CATC Fuji is critical for the Marine Corps’ only forward-deployed artillery unit to rehearse and project long-range precision fires. This training is foundational to enhancing 3/12’s agility and flexibility, ensuring they can safely and rapidly generate combat power in support of the joint force.”
AloJapan.com