High Mobility Artillery Rocket System: Its Role in the Rapid Force Projection Initiative

摘要

The Army must transition from a 'forward deployed' organization to a 'force projection' organization. The Army has seen cutbacks in its manpower and money while simultaneously redefining its role and designing its structure to succeed in the next century. The Rapid Force Projection initiative (RFPI) is one of the programs being used to help with this transition. The Rapid Force Projection initiative is oriented on getting more firepower with less weight for the future light infantry units that must deploy from the continental United States. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is one of the cornerstones of this program. This monograph examines the HIMARS to see if it is the right system for the future of long-range fires in light infantry units. This study begins with some general background information about the RFPI and the origin of the HIMARS program. The monograph then takes an in-depth look at the characteristics and capabilities of HIMARS and how they compare to other systems that already exist in the inventory. Results of past exercises on future war are analyzed to examine the effects that HIMARS or similar systems had on the simulated battlefield. This is followed with an examination of what the Field Artillery branch has stated their future artillery systems will be. The monograph concludes with an analysis based on the Tenets of Army Operations as stated in FM 100-5, Operations (Jun 93).