Photo By Pfc. Carlos Marquez | A U.S. Airman assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing walks across the tarmac as a U.S. Air...... read more read more
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – U.S. Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) crews, alongside Belgian and Norwegian forces, conducted Exercise Thunderbolt Convergence March 24–27, 2025. The exercise tested NATO allies' abilities to coordinate precision fires across countries and distance in real time.
Led by the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment (3-321 FAR), the mission focused on HIMARS rapid infiltration, beyond-line-of-sight targeting, and time-on-target strike coordination.
“Thunderbolt Convergence demonstrates that U.S. and NATO allies can fight as one fires force on the battlefield,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Erwin, commander of 3-321 FAR.
The exercise began with simultaneous HIMARS rapid infiltration operations from separate NATO airfields. One U.S. Army M142 HIMARS launcher was airlifted to Bardufoss, Norway, while another landed in Germany. Both teams received targeting data and executed a synchronized fire mission coordinated between the U.S. and Belgian militaries.
The mission in Norway incorporated targeting information from a Norwegian F-35 fighter jet, a Norwegian P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and Belgian Special Forces Group soldiers. Each element relayed data through joint digital fire systems to U.S. fire direction centers.
“The HIMARS that landed in Bardufoss, Norway received multiple missions utilizing different sensor-to-shooter kill chains involving high frequency and other beyond line-of-sight communications with the Belgian Special Forces Group, Norway’s Joint Fires Support Element, and U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps fires,” Erwin said.
Before execution, U.S. and Belgian communications teams met in Brussels to develop the joint fire execution plan. Targeting data from Norwegian air and land units was integrated into the planning architecture and rehearsed.
“We met with the Belgian Special Operations Air-Land Integration communications team in Brussels to design the communications architecture,” Erwin said. “We spent another two days prior to execution to ensure we were able to receive targeting data coming from Norwegian Air Force and Land Forces elements, passed across beyond line-of-sight systems directly into U.S. Army fire direction centers.”
At Ramstein Air Base, U.S. Army HIMARS crews and U.S. Airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron conducted dry-fire operations at combat tempo. Launchers were loaded onto U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft and deployed within minutes of landing, simulating a strike and repositioning under pressure.
“HIMARS rapid infiltration exercises allow us to rapidly strike targets almost anywhere in the world and leave before the enemy knows where the strike came from,” Erwin said.
Belgian forces participated directly in targeting and communications. Norwegian personnel observed HIMARS loading and deployment procedures to to build familiarity with future implementation.
“We’re here to observe how the HIMARS is loaded onto the C-130 so we can better apply that ourselves,” said Senior Sgt. Aleksander Bräthen, assigned to the 335th Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. “Working with our partners like this is critical.”
Erwin emphasized the value added by the international partnership. " The contributions of the Belgian and Norwegian forces dramatically expanded the training value and strategic impact of this exercise," he said.
Thunderbolt Convergence simulated a real-world combat scenario where success hinges on the speed of targeting, firing, and repositioning—all while integrating cross-border communications and coordination.
“Everything now comes down to speed. If you’re slow, you’re a target. If you’re fast, you survive,” Erwin said.
The exercise also projected a message to allies and potential adversaries about NATO’s joint fires community's readiness and cohesion.
“This exercise shows the real-world deterrence capabilities of the NATO alliance and the combat readiness of our forces,” said Erwin
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2025 10:03 |
| Story ID: | 493985 |
| Location: | RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 404 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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