Poland has taken delivery of its first high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, according to reports in local media.
The first batch of several Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS launchers arrived in Poland and was showcased during a welcoming ceremony attended by top Polish officials.
The U.S. State Department in February approved the potential sale of long-range missiles, rockets and launchers to Poland, including 18 HIMARS launchers. The package also included M30A2 guided multiple launch rockets and missiles.
The HIMARS is a weapons system made up of the M142, a five-ton chassis vehicle and can carry either a launcher pod of six rockets or one MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
#HIMARS dla Polski! Mamy to 🙂@MON_GOV_PL @DGeneralneRSZ @DowOperSZ pic.twitter.com/fyh4mpV4WS
— polska_zbrojna (@Polska_Zbrojna) May 15, 2023
Poland also completed negotiations with South Korea to buy close to 300 K239 Chunmoo multiple-rocket launchers.
Poland, like other European nations and the United States, has sent military equipment to Ukraine since the war started in late February. The government in Warsaw is seeking to replace some of that equipment with new purchases while stressing that the country’s arms are only for deterrence and defense.