Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak has approved a framework agreement for the acquisition of 486 HIMARS rocket launchers. The agreement between the Polish Armament Agency and the US government was signed on Monday at the Artillery and Armament Training Centre in Toruń.
“Deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2025. 2026 has been identified as a ‘safe year’. The challenge is to adapt the systems, to integrate the launchers with Polish systems, but after talks with the Polish arms industry I can assure you that within two years we will carry out this integration”, added the head of the Ministry of Defence (MON).
The Polish army will eventually be equipped with 500 HIMARS launchers. The Polish defence ministry will acquire them as part of the implementation of the Homar programme. This involves the purchase of rocket armament, which will enable the completion of 27 rocket squadrons in the future.
“We are recreating rocket artillery in the Polish Army. After 18 years, we have reconstituted a rocket artillery brigade. I assure you that we will be consistent, that we will effectively strengthen our army”, announced Minister Błaszczak.
Currently, the Polish army has already the first sets of American launchers delivered under the implementation of the agreement concluded with the US government in 2019. The first units of the weapon arrived in Poland in May this year, and during the summer, crews held firing exercises at the training ground.
The new contract is expected to include the supply of long-range launchers, a logistics and training package, and a suite of missiles both with a range of up to 70 kilometres and those capable of hitting enemy targets at a range of 300 kilometres. The agreement will also provide for technology transfer.
The US side undertakes to transfer to Polish companies the technology to produce a selected missile for HIMARS. In addition, as part of the Polonisation, the launchers will be mounted on a Jelcz chassis, and the Polish Topaz will be its battlefield management system.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński