A US-supplied HIMARS launcher is unloaded from a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 Ruslan at Ämari Air Base, Estonia. Photo by Siim Verner Teder

Estonia to buy three more HIMARS launchers from Lockheed Martin

by · Estonian World

Estonia is to procure three additional HIMARS multiple rocket launch systems from the American defence company Lockheed Martin, further strengthening its long-range strike capability and deepening defence ties with the United States.

The agreement, signed by the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments – ECDI – and Lockheed Martin, also includes additional ammunition and an investment of about $11 million in Estonia’s defence industry.

Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s defence minister, said the new launchers would significantly boost both national defence and Nato’s deterrence posture.

“Additional HIMARS systems will ensure the deep-strike capability required by the Estonian Defence Forces and Nato, significantly strengthening both our national defence capability and deterrence,” he said.

The additional systems are due to arrive in Estonia in 2027.

A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) tested at the Estonian military exercise Siil (Hedgehog) in 2022. Photo by the Estonian Defence Forces.

The deal follows the delivery last spring of Estonia’s first six HIMARS launchers, which marked a major milestone in the country’s defence build-up. The US-made systems, produced by Lockheed Martin, give Estonia the ability to conduct precision strikes at ranges exceeding 300 kilometres and are fully interoperable with Nato forces.

Pevkur said the purchase formed part of a deliberate long-term effort to implement Nato defence plans and strengthen Estonia’s overall security.

The agreement also has an industrial dimension. According to the ECDI, it includes investment in local defence capability, including the development of HIMARS component maintenance capacity in Estonia with the involvement of local companies.

Six HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems have arrived in Estonia. Photo by Kermo Pastarus.

Janari Kasemets, category manager for combat platforms at the ECDI, said Lockheed Martin’s investment would help build broader regional expertise together with neighbouring countries including Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland.

The new procurement underlines Estonia’s determination to expand its independent defence capability at a time of heightened regional security concerns and growing emphasis on allied readiness on Nato’s eastern flank.