Croatia to acquire HIMARS rockets in major military upgrade
Croatia has quietly provided Ukraine with military equipment several times and is starting to arm itself heavily. The latest information indicates that Croatian authorities want to sign a contract to purchase HIMARS rocket artillery systems. Here are the main features of this highly esteemed weapon.
The newspaper "Jutarnji list" was the first to report this plan, citing sources within the Croatian army. The contract, negotiated with the United States, is expected to be worth $300 million and provide access to the 'most powerful military equipment in Croatia's history.'
Croatia interested in HIMARS artillery
The Jutarnji list stated that this is the most powerful military equipment Croatia has ever had. It will completely change the balance of power in the region.
HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a weapon developed in 1996 by Lockheed Martin. The modern version is a lighter counterpart to the M270 MLRS rocket system. It uses a wheeled chassis, which, combined with a 390-horsepower engine, provides very good mobility (on roads, the vehicle with launchers can reach speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour).
The launchers are adapted for firing various types of ammunition. They can use standard MLRS 227-millimetre calibre rockets (up to six) with a range of about 80 kilometres or an MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile (only one), which can hit targets up to 300 kilometres away. Thanks to the combination of inertial and satellite navigation, HIMARS provides high precision, often called the "god of war."
A small country arms heavily
HIMARS is proving its worth, for example, during the war in Ukraine, where it is used to support the Ukrainian army. However, countries worldwide have been interested in this equipment for years. Among them is Poland, which aims to have several hundred launchers of this system.
According to sources from "Jutarnji list," Croatian authorities aim to sign a contract to acquire HIMARS systems by the end of this year and receive the equipment within four years.
It's worth noting that these efforts are part of the ongoing modernization of the Croatian army. In just the last few months, Zagreb has signed contracts to acquire American Bradley fighting vehicles, Black Hawk helicopters, French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft, and Mistral air defence systems.
