Poland has announced its intention to buy an additional 500 M142 HIMARS launchers that would equip more than 80 Polish Army batteries.
The letter of request for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) was announced by Polish defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak on May 26, just two days after Poland revealed it would be buying an additional six Patriot missile defense system batteries.
“We plan a high level of Polonization of the equipment and its integration with the Polish combat management system,” Błaszczak said announcing the procurement.
According to earlier reports, HOMAR – as HIMARS is also referred to in Poland – is expected to include the Polish-developed Topaz artillery fire control system. Reports also say that Poland was in talks for a possible local production of rockets for the system.
The 500 launchers would be in addition to the initial 20 systems procured by Poland in February 2019, along with 300 GMLRS and ATACMS rockets.
HIMARS is a lightweight mobile launcher, transportable via C-130 and larger aircraft for rapid deployment, that fires Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets, Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, the next-generation Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and Extended-Range GMLRS rockets.
The Lockheed Martin-built system consists of a launcher loader module and fire control system mounted on the M1140 five-ton truck chassis. A specialized armored cab provides additional protection to the three crew members that operate the system.
In addition to the HIMARS and Patriot systems, the first of which are scheduled for delivery this year, Poland is accelerating the purchase of Narew ground-based air defense (GBAD) systems. Under the contract with MBDA from March this year, Poland will receive the first fire module of the Common Anti-air Modular Missile-based Narew system in September this year.
