The U.S. State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Croatia, which includes the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and related equipment, at an estimated cost of $390 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has delivered the necessary certification to Congress, notifying them of this potential transaction. This proposed sale is expected to significantly enhance Croatia’s defense capabilities, allowing it to better deter current and future threats, while also supporting coalition operations and fostering interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces. Croatia is anticipated to integrate this equipment smoothly into its armed forces. Importantly, the sale will not disrupt the existing military balance in the region. Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Grand Prairie, Texas, will be the principal contractor for this deal.
Croatia has requested to purchase eight M142 HIMARS, twenty-four M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead Pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS), twenty-four M31A2 GMLRS-Unitary High Explosive (HE) Pods with IMPS, two M1152 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) equipped with Next Generation SECM (NG SECM), eight M1152 HMMWVs with Command and Control Communications Shelters, and thirty-six Defense Advanced GPS Receivers (DAGR). The sale also includes non-major defense equipment such as Low-Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket (LCRRPR) pods, AN/PRC-117G, AN/PRC-158, and AN/PRC-160 radios, Common Fire Control Systems (CFCS), International Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems (IFATDS), along with software, training, resupply vehicles, technical assistance, and other related elements of program and logistic support.
The M142 HIMARS is a lightweight, highly mobile multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the U.S. Army. Mounted on the M1140 truck frame from the U.S. Army Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), HIMARS can carry one pod with either six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile. The system is designed to launch all rockets in the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Family of Munitions, and its ammunition pods are interchangeable with those used by the M270 MLRS, although the HIMARS carries only one pod compared to the M270’s two. The HIMARS system is a wheeled vehicle, unlike the tracked M270, and features sapphire-laminated windows for added protection. It has also been tested as a launch platform for both artillery rockets and the SLAMRAAM surface-launched variant of the AMRAAM anti-aircraft missile.
Lockheed Martin’s production of the HIMARS has scaled up significantly due to increased global demand, especially following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Initially producing 48 launchers per year, the company increased its output to 60 in early 2022, with plans to further boost production to 96 systems annually. Despite limitations in expanding industrial capacity, production rates are expected to rise from five to eight vehicles monthly within several months. The HIMARS launcher can be transported by various military aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster, C-5 Galaxy, and Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The FMTV truck, which serves as the transport platform for HIMARS, was originally produced by Armor Holdings Aerospace and Defense Group Tactical Vehicle Systems Division and later by Oshkosh Corporation from 2010 to 2017.
