Poland to purchase 20 M142 HIMARS rocket launcher systems from U.S..

The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Poland of (20) High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) M142 Launchers, and other related equipment for an estimated cost of $655 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale, November 29,2018.

M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicles with the 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, Kentucky Army National Guard participating in Saber Strike 18 execute a fire mission at Bemoko Piskie, Poland, June 14, 2018. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

Poland has requested to buy twenty (20) High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) M142 Launchers, thirty-six (36) Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M31 Unitary, nine (9) Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M30A1 Alternative Warheads, thirty (30) Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) M57 Unitary, twenty-four (24) Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems (AFATDS), twenty (20) Multiple Launcher Pod Assembly M68A2 Trainers, twenty-four (24) M1151A1 High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), and nine (9) M1151A1 High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheel Vehicles (HMMWVs).

Also included are twenty (20) Low Cost Reduced Range (LCRR) practice rockets, support equipment, communications equipment, spare and repair parts, test sets, batteries, laptop computers, publications and technical data, facility design, personnel training and equipment, systems integration support, Quality Assurance Teams and a Technical Assistance Fielding Team, United States Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel services, and other related elements of logistics support, training, sensors, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $655 million.

The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed jointly in the late 1990s by the Companies BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin for the United States Army. The truck chassis is produced by BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems while the he rocket launching system is produced by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control.

The M142 HIMARS is an American-made MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) that carries a single six-pack of rockets on the army's family of medium tactical vehicles (FMTV) 6x6 M1140. It can fires the same rockets as the M270 MLRS with a maximum range of 32 km, but it has also the capacity to fire new extended range guided rocket GMLRS at a range of 70 km and the long-range ATACMS (army tactical missile system) guided missile to a maximum range of 300 km.