A multiple launch rocket system (MLRS/HIMARS) at Fort A.P. Hill Landing Zone, Virginia, July 20, 2020. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Daniel J. Alkana, 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) (Pfc. Daniel Alkana)
Germany will buy three additional M142 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers for Ukraine, the country’s defense minister announced on May 9.
Speaking during a trip to Washington, Boris Pistorius said they would be purchased from the United States and handed over to Kyiv.
“They will come from the U.S. armed forces and will be paid for by us,” he told reporters.
The deal follows through on a weapons transfer workaround that was designed when the fate of a $61 billion bill for military aid to Ukraine was still stuck in the U.S. Congress. American lawmakers eventually passed the aid package in late April.
“The decision of Congress has overtaken us, but we’re sticking with it,” Pistorius said, referring to the planned purchase that will cost Berlin roughly $30 million, as Der Spiegel reported.
The U.S. has supplied Kiev forces with at least 39 HIMARS launchers since the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.
These launchers are typically armed with M30/M31 series GMLRS GPS-guided rockets, which have a range of more than 70 kilometers, or MGM-140 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles with a range between 165 and 300 kilometers depending on the version.
The Russian military has already damaged or destroyed many of Ukraine’s HIMARS launchers using precision-guided weapons. In addition, Russian air defense and electronic warfare means have significantly reduced the effectiveness of the system.
The German decision to buy more HIMARS launchers for Ukraine is meant to make up for these losses. However, the additional systems will not likely make a difference.
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