Australian Army takes delivery of first HIMARS launch vehicles

The Australian Army has taken delivery of its first two of a planned 42 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HiMARS) launcher vehicles, less than two years after the purchase was announced. Defence will spend $1.6 billion to equip the Army’s new long-range fires formation, the recently formed 10^th Brigade,

Employing the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), HIMARS will deliver increased lethality and accurate firepower at ranges of more than 500 kilometres, said Defence in a statement.

“The significance of the HIMARS is it really takes the Australian Army into the long-range missile age,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles in a press conference. “This is going to mean that we are able to shoot missiles, not over a range of 10s of kilometres, but in fact, over a range of 100s of kilometres. And so this greatly increases the ability of the Australian Army to project, and impactful projection has been at the centre of the strategic objective in terms of what we have been trying to do with the defence force that we are seeking to build.”

“HIMARS is a world leading capability, delivering accurate firepower at long ranges, resulting in a more than ten-fold increase in Army’s striking range,” said Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery.

“Equally crucial will be the munitions and support systems that sit behind HIMARS – and that’s why we’re manufacturing GMLRS missiles in Australia this year, to reinforce robust domestic supply chains that we control and create local jobs.”

The accelerated delivery of HIMARS will also support Australian defence industry and the creation of new jobs sooner, says the Defence statement, with Defence also investing in a facility to locally manufacture HIMARS-compatible and other guided missiles, as well as one producing Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs).