The US State Department has cleared Croatia’s request to buy eight M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from Lockheed Martin.
With an estimated cost of $390 million, the potential sale includes 24 M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS)-Alternative Warhead Pods and 24 GMLRS-Unitary High Explosive Pods.
It also includes 10 M1152 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles and 36 GPS receivers.
According to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the proposed sale will help improve Croatia’s capability to deter current and future security threats.
It will also “support the foreign policy and national security of the US by improving the security of a NATO ally that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”
The DSCA has confirmed that the sale will not adversely affect US defense readiness if it proceeds.
Strategic Importance
The M142 HIMARS is a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher system capable of carrying a six-pack of GMLRS rockets or two Precision Strike Missiles.
It has a reported range of 300 kilometers (186 miles), which can be extended to 500 kilometers (310 miles) using advanced munitions.
With its long-range capability, the weapon could be of strategic importance to Croatia, given the geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Balkans.
Currently, Zagreb relies on the M-92 Vulkan Multiple Launch Rocket System as its primary artillery rocket system, despite only having a strike range of 20 kilometers (12 miles).