Ukraine conflict: Poland receives first HIMARS

The Polish army received its first five M142 HIMARSs at the 1st Transport Aviation Base in Warsaw on 15 May. (Polish MND/Leszek Chemperek)

The Polish army received its first five M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARSs) on 15 May. The Polish Armaments Agency (AA) said on its website on 15 May that the systems were delivered by air to the 1st Transport Aviation Base in Warsaw.

Attending the handover ceremony, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak said the systems would go to the 16th Mechanised Division in northeastern Poland to deter Russia and reinforce the country and NATO's eastern flank.

The Polish Ministry of National Defence said on its website on 15 May that the ongoing HIMARS deliveries are the first step in equipping the Polish Armed Forces with multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) capable of striking targets at the operational level at a range of several hundred kilometres. The AA said HIMARS provided this capability with Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, with Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions able to do so at a range of several dozen kilometres.

Błaszczak placed this in the context of the war in Ukraine: “Artillery is playing a pivotal role in the war, in repelling the Russian invasion, so long-range missile capability is undoubtedly relevant to the strength of the Polish Armed Forces.”