Estonia will buy up to six M142 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (HIMARS) from the United States, worth up to $500 million, the US State Department reports .
According to the agency, this deal will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States, as well as the security of its NATO ally. Estonia intends to use HIMARS to modernize its armed forces and enhance the ability to strengthen the country's defense and deter regional threats.
At the end of May, Poland announced its intention to purchase 500 HIMARS from the United States. According to the Minister of Defense of the country, Mariusz Blaszczak, the MLRS is necessary to deter the enemy. He stated that artillery is an important segment of the modern battlefield, as the war in Ukraine proves: “It will be a weapon that will keep us safe through deterrence. We will become the artillery force in Europe. It is important for us that a potential aggressor knows that if he decides to attack our country, it will be very difficult for him.”
The M142 HIMARS is based on the US Army's three-axle FMTV wheeled chassis and can carry six MLRS rockets or one ATACMS tactical ballistic missile. Depending on the ammunition, the range of destruction is from 45 to 500 km. At the end of June HIMARS arrived in Ukraine. Since then, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have regularly used them to shell Russian military depots.
