Poland eyes 500 American rocket launchers to boost its artillery forces
A U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launches ordnance during the Red Flag Alaska exercise at Fort Greely, Alaska, in 2020. Poland has a standing request to buy a sizable number of the weapons. (Senior Airman Beaux Hebert/Air Force)
WARSAW, Poland — As Poland is accelerating a number of acquisitions amid Russia’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced he has signed a letter of request to buy about 500 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, from the United States.
“We are increasing the capabilities of our rocket and artillery forces,” Błaszczak said in a tweet released by his ministry. “I have signed an LOR related to the acquisition of about 500 M142 HIMARS launchers for more than 80 batteries of the Homar system.”
The minister said that, under the plan, a significant share of these systems would be produced by Poland-based factories, and Warsaw aims to ensure the weapons’ “integration with the Polish battlefield management system.”
Incredible Video: US Army M142 HIMARS in Action
In October 2018, the Polish government sent an official request to buy the Lockheed Martin-made launchers under its Homar program from the United States. The two governments signed a deal in February 2019, enabling the procurement of a total of 20 launchers in the program’s first phase.
The Polish Ministry of National Defence said the first HIMARS contract was worth about $414 million. Deliveries under this deal are scheduled to be completed by 2023.
The latest development comes days after Błaszczak announced his ministry had filed a letter of request to purchase six additional Patriot batteries from the U.S. in a bid to bolster Poland’s mid-range air defense capacities.
Warsaw has pushed forward a number of acquisition programs since the outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Most of the contracts are expected to be awarded to American suppliers in what local observers perceive as a drive towards an even closer defense cooperation with the U.S. and less collaboration with partners from the European Union.
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