Lithuania will purchase eight M142 HIMARS rocket launchers from the US. The contract is expected to be signed until December, Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas has said.
“The Americans have given 90% assurance that it will happen until the beginning of December. The contract is for a separate system and eight launchers and launch systems,” Anusauskas said.
The systems should be delivered to Lithuania in 2025.
Latvia and Estonia are also acquiring six HIMARS systems each, the minister said.
Last week, the Lithuanian government increased this year’s defence budget by 148 million euros. According to Anusauskas around 60 million euros from this amount will be allocated for the acquisition of HIMARS systems.
The additional money will be used for the acquisition of the JLTV armoured off-road vehicles, medium-range radars and ammunition.
The HIMARS are mounted on trucks that carry a container with six precision-guided rockets with a range of about 70 kilometres.
The US has sent to Ukraine 16 HIMARS systems that are being successfully used in the fight against Russia’s invasion. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
