Lockheed Martin delivers 750th HIMARS launcher

US defence contractor Lockheed Martin has delivered its 750th HiMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) launcher to the US Army. The achievement comes as part of an urgent production jump, doubling annual production output from 48 to 96 launchers to meet accelerated demand 

One of the users of HiMARS is the Australian Army which has ordered 42 of the launchers, the first of which were delivered this year. The US Army also has US State Department approval to transfer another 48 HiMARS to Australia under a US$705 million ($1.8 billion) deal if selected by the Australian Army under Project LAND8113 Ph.2.

The HIMARS platform is the cornerstone of the US Army’s Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) strategy, Lockheed Martin says, and provides mobile strike capability to more than 14 allied nations. Reaching the 750th launcher underscores its combat performance and the sustained demand for high precision, long-range firepower in today’s contested environments, the company adds.

Lockheed Martin increased output during the 3^rd quarter of this year to 96 launchers per year. This capacity boost is enabled by US$2.9 billion ($4.43 billion) in US Army contracts, facilitating new tooling, additional workstations and streamlined supply.

The HIMARS capability being acquired by the Australian Army represents a generational shift in its long-range strike capability. The first eight launchers have been delivered early and on-budget with further deliveries expected in 2026.

In December 2024, Lockheed Martin was announced as one of two preferred options to provide a Land-Based Anti-Ship Missile (LBASM) capability under LAND8113 Ph.2 – this would see the Army raise a second long-range fires regiment. Lockheed Martin is proposing an additional tranche of HIMARS launchers with the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2 with a moving target seeker and a 400km range to provide an anti-access/area denial capability. Kongsberg Australia and Thales Australia are offering the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) mounted on a Bushmaster PMV for this requirement. A decision by Defence is expected in 2026.

Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 in northern Queensland demonstrated the growing sophistication and interoperability of the Australia–United States defence relationship, says Lockheed Martin, with a key highlight being the live-fire demonstration of an Australian HIMARS launcher employing an Australian Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1.

Lockheed Martin Australia is also looking at options to provide ongoing support, maintenance, and sustainment of HIMARS as an ecosystem to ensure ongoing support for Australia’s HIMARS fleet, the company adds.