Poland has received its first HIMARS – high-mobility rocket artillery launchers – from the United States. The system, which Poland first ordered in 2019, has been used to great effect by Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, prompting Warsaw to recently seek to increase the size of its order.
“As the example of Ukraine shows, artillery plays an important role in armed conflicts,” said defence minister Mariusz Błaszczk, unveiling the new launchers, which are capable of hitting targets at a range of up to 499 km (310 miles).
“Our ambition is to strengthen the Polish army as quickly as possible,” added Błaszczk, whose government has embarked on a defence spending spree since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We will have a lot of firepower in a relatively short space of time.”
Wicepremier @mblaszczak: przyjmujemy dziś do Wojska Polskiego wyrzutnie #HIMARS. To sprzęt którzy sprawdził się na Ukrainie. Gospodarzami tych pierwszych egzemplarzy będą żołnierze 1 Brygady Artylerii @16Dywizja. pic.twitter.com/tRrw0taj9Y
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) May 15, 2023
The new arrivals are part of an order for 20 launchers made by Poland in 2019 for $414 million. The remainder are due to arrive by the end of this year. Poland is the sixth country – after Ukraine, Romania, Singapore, UAE and Jordan – to take delivery of HIMARS, which are produced by Lockheed Martin.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has requested a further 18 launchers and 468 launcher loader module kits. That $10 billion deal was approved by the US State Department and Congress earlier this year.
Speaking yesterday, Błaszczak said that the government is also in negotiations to co-manufacture HIMARS – as well as Javelin missiles – in Poland itself. Earlier this month, it was also announced that Poland will this year establish a service centre for HIMARS.
HIMARS will now be integrated into Poland’s Topaz combat management system alongside South Korean K239 Chunmoo launchers, 218 of which Warsaw ordered last year for $3.55 billion. Last month, Poland also agreed a £1.9 billion deal to buy a British air defence system.
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of nearly 500 HIMARS rocket launchers to Poland for $10 billion.
"A major reinforcement of Poland's artillery is getting closer," said Poland's defence ministerhttps://t.co/91Q673fmqe
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 8, 2023
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has increased its defence budget to 4% of GDP – the highest relative level in NATO – and has embarked on a military procurement spree that also includes tanks, fighter jets and helicopters.
The first of 32 F-35 combat aircraft that Poland ordered from the US in 2020 for $4.6 billion are due to arrive next year, said Błaszczak yesterday.
“We have supported Ukraine, but we are modernising the Polish army at such a rapid pace that the equipment which we [donated] to Ukraine has been replaced with equipment from South Korea, the United States, and to some extent also from Great Britain,” said the defence minister.
Poland plans to increase defence spending to 4% of GDP this year, which on current figures would be the highest level in NATO.
"This will be clear evidence for all countries [that] we will defend our land," says the prime minister https://t.co/8vS0qANiYS
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 31, 2023
Main image credit: Christopher Gaylord/Wikimedia Commons (under CC BY 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
