Though the HIMARS system dates back to the 1990s, it won worldwide fame from its highly effective use during the Ukraine War.

NATO member Sweden announced recently that it would adopt the US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), providing its land forces with a long-range mobile launch system as Sweden seeks to enter into cooperation on rocket artillery with neighboring Finland.

“The introduction of rocket artillery clearly demonstrates that Sweden is taking responsibility for security in Europe,” Swedish Minister for Defense Pal Jonson said in a news release. “The Joint Declaration with Finland aims to boost capacity-building, maintenance and security of supply for the systems. Together, we are developing important capabilities for NATO’s collective defense.”

Lockheed Martin, developer and manufacturer of the HIMARS, will work with Sweden’s Saab on the “potential integration of Saab’s Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB)” for the mobile launch system and other platforms, including the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system.

The deal between Sweden and Lockheed Martin is valued at nearly €630 million (around $731.7 million), with deliveries expected to begin next year.

Finland and Sweden are the two newest members of NATO, joining the alliance in 2023 and 2024 respectively after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The invasion was widely seen as a naked act of territorial aggression, and led both nations to abandon their longstanding neutrality and join the European defense pact for safety.

The M142 HIMARS Launcher’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2005
• Number Built: Over 750
• Length: 23 feet (7 meters)
• Total weight, battle-ready: 35,800 lbs (16 tons)
• Suspension: parabolic leaf spring on XM1140 chassis 
• Engine: Caterpillar 3116 ATAAC 6.6-liter, 6-cylinder diesel engine (330 hp)
• Top Speed: 58 mph (94 km/h)
• Range: ~300 miles (480 km)
• Armament: 
  • 6 x 227mm Guided/Multiple Launch Rocket System (G/MLRS) (there are several variants of the munition), or
  • 2 x Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), or
  • 1 x MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)
• Range: ~310 miles (500 km), depending on loadout
• Crew: 3 (driver, gunner, commander)

The HIMARS Cut Its Teeth in Iraq—and Shone in Ukraine

The HIMARS is not a new weapon system. The light multiple rocket launcher was developed in the early 1990s as a private venture by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, and was first publicly unveiled in early 1993. It was developed for use by US Army airborne troops and United States Marines, and was able to provide 24-hour, all-weather, lethal, close- and long-range precision rocket and missile fire support for joint forces, early-entry expeditionary forces, contingency forces, and field artillery brigades supporting Brigade Combat Teams.

However, it didn’t have its baptism of fire until July 2007, when Fox Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment deployed to Iraq. Soon afterwards, that unit became the first to fire the HIMARS in combat.

The HIMARS was later deployed to support NATO and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations in Afghanistan against the Taliban beginning around 2010, including operations in Kandahar and a notable strike in Musa Qala in 2018. More recently, it was used to strike ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria.

However, the effectiveness of HIMARS against a near-peer adversary employing modern armor had its greatest test following its delivery to Ukrainian forces in 2022, where it was used to counter Russian tanks and personnel. The HIMARS proved its usefulness in that conflict, fueling a boom in orders around the world.

“If you were to ask Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the frontlines about which weapon has made the biggest difference in the conflict so far, you would likely hear many of them say ‘the HIMARS,’” wrote Stavros Atlamazoglou for The National Interest in January 2024. One point in the weapon’s favor is its ability to launch advanced MGM-140 ATACMS missiles in addition to its traditional loadout.

Why Is the HIMARS System So Useful?

More than four years since its introduction, HIMARS remains an effective and important tool for Ukraine, though its role has shifted due to heavy Russian electronic warfare and jamming. It is now employed against high-value targets including long-range artillery guns, drone control points, and personnel concentrations.

The rocket launcher’s primary advantage remains its ability to “shoot and scoot,” allowing it to appear from cover, fire at the enemy, and change position before Russian troops can conduct counterattacks. Even when the HIMARS is unable to destroy targets directly, its deployment has required that Russian forces disperse supply hubs and fuel dumps to avoid strikes, complicating their logistics.

Current HIMARS doctrine still calls for the pods with rockets being unloaded in various locations down a predefined route—where the launcher vehicle travels from location to location, then loads a new pod with rockets and immediately fires them before traveling to a new location to reload. That further allows the vehicle to avoid counter-battery fire.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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