Lockheed Martin has received a $431-million contract from the US Army to produce High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
According to the US Department of Defense, the full-rate production contract is meant to satisfy “an urgent need” to support the service and its international allies.
The announcement did not specify how many multiple rocket launchers would be produced or if they would be sent to Kyiv as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package or used to replenish US Army stockpiles.
Work for the contract will be carried out in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, and other parts of the US and is expected to be completed by December 2025.
The HIMARS
Lockheed Martin’s M142 HIMARS is a “full-spectrum, combat-proven” precision strike weapons system that can be transported by C-130 aircraft.
It is designed to provide fire support to joint forces, early-entry expeditionary forces, contingency forces, and field artillery brigades.
The missile system can strike targets up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) away with minimal collateral damage.
The US has sent several HIMARS to Ukraine to counter Russia’s offensives.
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov described the weapon as a “game-changer” after its success in neutralizing enemy assets.
In September, Washington announced that it is doubling the number of HIMARS sent to Ukraine as part of a $1.1 billion military package.
Up to 18 additional multiple rocket systems will reportedly be sent in the medium to long term.