The US State Department approved a possible sale to Poland of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, and ammunition, the Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency announced on Monday.
In May 2022, Poland requested to buy 18 HIMARS launchers, 468 HIMARS Launcher Loader Module kits, 45 M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and other related equipment for an estimated cost of $10 billion, the DSCA said.
“The proposed sale will improve Poland’s military goals of updating capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies,” the announcement reads. It will also contribute to “improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe”.
M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, HIMARS for short, is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the US Army. Technically advanced, affordable and sustainable, the HIMARS is interoperable with the latest precision munitions ranging 15-499+ kilometres, according to Lockheed Martin, the producer.
For now, Washington gave its consent to sell Poland 18 HIMARS systems, but with a massive stock of ammunition. Had the US agreed to deliver the 500 systems initially requested by the Polish Defence Ministry, Poland would have become the world’s biggest HIMARS user, exceeding even the US army.
Last year, Poland also signed a contract with South Korea for 288 K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems that are quite similar to the HIMARS but use rockets of a different calibre.
(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl)
Source: euractiv.com
