The US State Department has approved the sale of a batch of rockets and missiles for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Poland under the Foreign Military Sales programme, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 28 November.
The department notified Congress on Tuesday that it had approved the potential foreign military sale a variety of munitions for the HIMARS. The deal is now pending congressional approval.
Poland has requested 16 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M31A1 Unitary, 9 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M30A1 alternative warheads, 61 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) M57 Unitary. Also included are 8 Universal Position Navigation Units (UPNU), 34 Low Cost Reduced Range (LCRR) practice rockets, one thousand six hundred forty-two 1,642 Guidance and Control Section Assemblies for GMLRS, Missile Common Test Sets and Devices, testing Precision, Lightweight GPS Receivers (PLGR), support equipment, U.S. Government and contractor services, training, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $250 million.
Early, the Polish Ministry of Defence, Antoni Macierewicz, announced that Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) with Lockheed Martin jointly to develop new Polish rocket artillery system, would be based on the HIMARS launcher solutions. A Lockheed Martin HIMARS launcher unit fitted on a Jelcz 663.32 (similar to the Kryl howitzer chassis).
The Polish Armament Group has selected Lockheed Martin for exclusive further negotiations to develop the Polish Homar program on the basis of the Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
The partnership will develop in-country defense technology modernization via transfer of technology, in-country production/manufacturing and future modernization.