Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract to supply additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to the US Army.
The agreement has a potential value of $861.3 million, according to the announcement by the US Department of Defense (DoD).
It covers spare parts and associated support services, including logistics, maintenance, and training.
The DoD contract announcement did not disclose how many HIMARS are being ordered, but previous solicitation documents show the service wants up to 288 launchers.
Work for the contract is expected to conclude by May 2026.
About the HIMARS
One of the most powerful weapons in the US Army arsenal, Lockheed Martin’s HIMARS is designed to protect high-value assets from a wide variety of threats.
It is mounted on a wheeled vehicle to quickly move away from the firing area and avoid being targeted by a counterattack.
Since it has self-loading and autonomous features, the rocket system can be operated by a crew of three: the driver, gunner, and section chief.
The HIMARS can launch the entire multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) family of munitions, including the extended-range variant.
Replenishing Stockpile
The nearly $1-billion contract award is part of the US Army’s efforts to replenish its HIMARS stockpiles sent to Ukraine.
As of January, Washington has donated a total of 39 HIMARS to the war-ravaged nation, according to a report by Forbes.
The Russians have reportedly not destroyed a single HIMARS launcher since the Ukrainian military began deploying them.
In July 2022, Kyiv reported one of the major breakthroughs for the American system after it was able to destroy 50 Russian ammunition depots in just one month.
