The American defense company Lockheed Martin has handed over six M142 HIMARS missile systems to Estonia.

The Estonian Defence Investment Center (RKIK) reported on this.

The handover ceremony for the new rocket systems took place in Arkansas in the United States.

The launchers will be delivered to Estonia by sea in the spring. The Estonian Defense Forces will start operating them in early summer.

The contract to purchase the HIMARS rocket systems was signed in December 2022. This was preceded by years of market analysis and almost a year of formal arrangements to conclude the contract.

Thanks to the pre-delivery training, the Estonian defense forces will be ready to use these rocket systems immediately.

Procuring these six High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems from the United States is one of Estonia’s largest arms orders.

The agreement includes the supply of GMLRS ammunition, communications equipment, training of military personnel to operate these systems, and logistics and technical support, in addition to the launchers.

Estonian M142s will also be equipped with M57 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles with a range of up to 300 km.

The contract’s total value is more than $200 million. Estonia needed new, modern American high-precision weapons for long-range strikes. This will significantly expand the capabilities of its military against the backdrop of security threats in the region.

Early last year, the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania agreed on the future joint use of M142 HIMARS rocket systems. In total, the three Baltic states have ordered 20 such systems from the United States, which will be armed not only with rockets but also with short-range tactical ballistic missiles.

HIMARS rocket systems have proven themselves in Ukraine as well. With their help, Ukrainian artillerymen destroy various important targets of the Russian invaders, including air defense facilities, command centers, and crossings.