Croatia boasts defense with $300 million HIMARS artillery deal

Croatia has quietly provided Ukraine with military equipment several times and is starting to arm itself heavily. The latest information indicates that Croatian authorities want to sign a contract to purchase HIMARS rocket artillery systems. Here are the main features of this highly esteemed weapon.

The newspaper "Jutarnji list" was the first to report this plan, citing sources within the Croatian army. The contract, negotiated with the United States, is expected to be worth $300 million and provide access to the 'most powerful military equipment in Croatia's history.'

"This is the most powerful military equipment Croatia can possess in its history. It will completely change the balance of power in the region," the assessment in the "Jutarnji list" read.

HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a weapon developed in 1996 by Lockheed Martin. The modern version is a lighter counterpart to the M270 MLRS rocket system. It uses a wheeled chassis, which, combined with a 390 horsepower engine, provides very good mobility. On roads, the vehicle with launchers can reach up to 56 mph speeds.

The launchers are adapted for firing various types of ammunition. They can use standard MLRS 227 mm caliber rockets (up to six) with a range of about 50 miles or an MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile (only one), which can hit targets up to 186 miles away. Thanks to the combination of inertial and satellite navigation, HIMARS provides high precision, often called the "god of war."

HIMARS is proving its worth during the war in Ukraine, where it supports the Ukrainian army. However, countries worldwide have been interested in this equipment for years. Among them is Poland, which aims to have several hundred launchers of this system.

According to sources from "Jutarnji list," Croatian authorities aim to sign a contract to acquire HIMARS systems by the end of this year and receive the equipment within four years.

These efforts are part of the ongoing modernization of the Croatian army. In just the last few months, Zagreb has signed contracts to acquire American Bradley fighting vehicles, Black Hawk helicopters, French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft, and Mistral air defense systems.