Netherlands joins growing list of HIMARS customers
US marines fire rockets from a HIMARS M142 system. (Photo: USMC)
The US State Department has approved a possible FMS to the government of the Netherlands of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and related equipment.
As part of the FMS, the Netherlands requested 20 launchers, various missile pods, 17 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles and other equipment and vehicles. The total estimated cost of the FMS is $670 million.
The M142 HIMARS launcher can accommodate six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets with a maximum range of approximately 70km or one MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System that can strike targets up to 300km away.
The Netherlands is just one of many countries which has sought to procure the HIMARS system after its success in Ukraine. At the start of this month, Poland began the process of acquiring 500 M142 HIMARS launchers worth an estimated $10 billion.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
Lithuanian 1st Division to achieve initial operating capability in 2026
Lithuania is one of the countries stepping up its defences in the face of the war in Ukraine with a particular focus on its neighbour and Russian ally Belarus, which has been making incursions into Lithuania’s airspace with balloons and drones.
-
Medium knocked out of British Army LMP, with CAVS as heavyweight champion
As the British Army seeks to modernise and consolidate its diverse vehicle fleet, yet another change in direction is underway.
-
Energy evolution: How laser defence systems are powering the next phase of air defence (podcast)
Laser-based air defence is moving from promise to deployment as global threats evolve. In this special podcast, we explore how high-energy laser systems are reshaping interception strategies.