Lithuania signs contract with US to purchase 8 M142 HIMARS rocket launchers

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According to information published on the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense Twitter account on December 16, 2022, Lithuania signed a contract with the United States to purchase 8 American-made M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) as well as rockets and missiles.
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A U.S. Army Soldier from A Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Multi Domain Task Force, conducts training on Pohakuloa Training Grounds, Hawaii, Nov. 4, 2022. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

On November 9, 2022, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a Foreign Military Sale for the Government of Lithuania of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Launchers and related equipment for an estimated cost of $495 million.

The Government of Lithuania requested to buy eight M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Launchers as well as thirty-six (36) M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS), thirty-six (36) M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive (HE) Missile Pods, thirty-six (36) XM403 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Alternative Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with IMPS, thirty-six (36) XM404 Extended Range GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Unitary Pods with IMPS and eighteen (18) M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Missile Pods.

The HIMARS M142 is an American-made MLRS designed and manufactured by the company Lockheed Martin. The artillery system is based on a 6x6 chassis of the medium tactical vehicles (FMTV) all-wheel-drive 5t truck. The rocket/missile launcher system is mounted at the rear of the truck chassis.

The M142 HIMARS carries a single six-pack of rockets on the army's family of medium tactical vehicles (FMTV) 6x6. The HIMARS can fire the standard MLRS round, but also the entire MLRS family of munitions, including the extended-range rocket, the reduced-range practice rocket, and all future variants. It can also fire the extended-range guided rocket GMLRS, with a range of more than 70 km. It is also capable to fire a TACMS Tactical Missile with a maximum range of 300 km.