Estonia purchasing 3 more Lockheed Martin HIMARS systems
Estonia has inked a deal to buy three HIMARS artillery systems to add to the six it already has.
The State Center for Defense Investments (RKIK) and U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin recently signed the deal, which will also include additional ammunition and a US$11 million (€9.4 million) investment in Estonia's domestic defense industry.
"Additional HIMARS systems will ensure the deep-strike capability required by the Estonian Defense Forces and NATO, significantly strengthening both our national defense capability and deterrence. Expanding cooperation with Lockheed Martin will also directly support the development of Estonia's defense industry," said Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform).
"This is a deliberate and long-term effort that supports the implementation of NATO defense plans. Equally important is Lockheed Martin's direct investment in Estonia, as such investments in national defense and the defense industry make Estonia as a whole more secure," Pevkur said.
The contract signed with Lockheed Martin will help involve the local defense industry. "In addition to rocket systems and ammunition, the new agreement includes an investment in Estonia's defense industry, resulting in the establishment of HIMARS component maintenance capability in Estonia, to be provided by local companies," said Janari Kasemets, category manager for combat platforms at the RKIK.
"The $11 million investment in Estonia will be combined, at Lockheed Martin's initiative, with investments in neighboring countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland, in order to build broader regional expertise and ensure the availability of required services locally," Kasemets added.
The three new HIMARS rocket launchers are planned to arrive in Estonia in 2027. They will join the six HIMARS units Estonia had already bought and which arrived in-country nearly a year ago, with EDF artillery personnel getting their first experience of firing the system in July.
M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) has been one of the star weapons in Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion, now in its fifth year, and particularly when firing the longer-range MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) projectiles.
Latvia and Lithuania also use HIMARS, as do NATO allied troops deployed to the region.
The HIMARS launchers are complemented by the six South Korean-made Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher systems Estonia has purchased and which are due to arrive in 2027.
Lockheed Martin is also opening a HIMARS maintenance center in Estonia.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Aleksander Krjukov
