As a part of the newest presidential drawdown bundle for Ukraine — this one price $700 million {dollars} — the U.S. Protection Division has included 4 M142 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket Techniques, or HIMARS. The M142 HIMARS system permits for the launching of a number of, precision-guided rockets. Together with the HIMARS system, the division can be together with the Guided A number of Launch Rocket System for use with HIMARS. These rockets are able to hitting a goal greater than 40 miles away. Earlier than that switch occurs, the U.S. will present coaching on the system to each Ukrainian customers and maintainers.

“What the HIMARS will permit them to do is to get larger standoff. Proper now, the Howitzers we supplied them have a couple of 30 km vary; the HIMARS have greater than twice that, which can permit them — even with fewer programs — larger standoff. The HIMARS system additionally offers elevated precision. These are precision guided programs with prolonged vary. For top worth targets, that, that permits them to maintain a number of the strain off of Ukrainian forces on the entrance, which we expect these programs will likely be very helpful,” stated Colin H. Kahl, undersecretary of protection for coverage, throughout a briefing at present on the Pentagon.

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Colin Kahl, undersecretary of protection for coverage, holds a press briefing on the Pentagon, June 1, 2022. (Photograph by Marine Corps Sgt. Taryn Sammet)

Along with the 4 HIMARS programs, this newest bundle of apparatus for Ukraine will embody 5 counter-artillery radar programs; two air-surveillance radars; 1,000 Javelins and 50 command launch models; 6,000 antiarmor weapons; 15,000 155-mm artillery rounds; 4 Mi-17 helicopters; 15 tactical autos; and extra spare components and gear. Because the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, the U.S. has supplied $4.6 billion in help to Ukraine. Just lately, Congress accredited, and the president signed, a further $40 billion in help to Ukraine — $8 billion of that’s for extra presidential drawdown authority.

The M142 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a light-weight a number of rocket launcher developed within the late Nineteen Nineties for the USA Military, mounted on a typical Military M1140 truck body. The HIMARS carries six rockets or one MGM-140 ATACMS missile on the U.S. Military’s new Household of Medium Tactical Automobiles (FMTV) five-ton truck and may launch all the A number of Launch Rocket System Household of Munitions (MFOM). HIMARS ammunition is interchangeable with the MLRS M270A1; nevertheless, it’s only capable of carry one pod reasonably than the usual two for the M270 and A1 variants. The HIMARS launcher is C-130 transportable.

Marines fire a reduced-range practice rocket from an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April. 4, 2022.
Marines fireplace a reduced-range follow rocket from an M142 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April. 4, 2022. (Photograph by Marine Corps Sgt. Taryn Sammet)