The State Department has approved a potential $10 billion deal with Poland for the sale of 18 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and associated munitions.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on Tuesday of the new foreign military sale.
Along with the Lockheed Martin-built HIMARS launchers, Poland has requested 468 launcher loader module kits, 45 ATACMS missiles, 461 GMLRS-Alternative Warhead pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS), 521 GMLRS-Unitary pods with IMPS and 532 XM403 GMLRS Extended Range Alternative Warhead pods.
“The proposed sale will improve Poland’s military goals of updating capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies. Poland intends to use these defense articles and services to modernize its armed forces and expand its capability to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats,” the DSCA wrote in a statement.
In December, the State Department approved a separate $3.75 billion FMS deal with Poland, which includes 116 of General Dynamics Land Systems’ [GD] M1A1 Abrams tanks, 12 of BAE Systems’ M88A2 Hercules Combat Recovery Vehicles and six M577A3 command vehicles, eight of Leonardo DRS’ M1110 Joint Assault Bridges and 29 Oshkosh Defense [OSK]-built Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (Defense Daily, Dec. 6).
The U.S. has committed to providing Ukraine with 38 HIMARS launchers to date and has been supplying GMLRS rockets to be fired from the platforms.
Ukrainian officials have been requesting the longer-range ATACMS, which are capable of reaching out to 300 kilometers, while the U.S. has not committed to including the missiles in future weapons aid packages.