Elements of first HIMARS long-range rocket launcher arrive in Romania

The main elements of the first long-range High Mobility Artillery Rocket System - HIMARS which will be part of the Romanian Army's arsenal arrived on Saturday in Constanta Port, the Ministry of National Defense announced.

The equipment and related materials will be taken to the headquarters of the "Maj. Gheorghe Sontu" 81st Tactical Artillery Battalion in Focsani, which will be the first unit of the Romanian Land Forces to operate this system, the Ministry announced on Sunday.

The battalion will conduct in the next period the acceptance and hand-over testing of the military equipment.

The system elements will be taken to Focsani by land transport means contracted and coordinated by US and National Defense Ministry specialized structures.

The HIMARS system was procured under Law No. 46/2018 on the accomplishment of the Indirect Fire Support Capability related to the HIMARS endowment program.

The document provides for the purchase of three systems with 18 launching facilities each, including, but not limited to, ammunition, command and control elements, sensors, logistics support, maintenance, cryptographic and special equipment, as well as personnel training services at all required levels.

For Romania, achieving the indirect fire support capability is of essential security interest and contributes significantly both to strengthening the strategic partnership with the US and to the fulfillment of our country's NATO commitments.

"Having in view the diversity of situations in which the Romanian Army must participate with troops, both on the national territory and particularly abroad, equipping the structures of the Land Forces Staff with high-performance enhanced-capability support means specific to both classical and unconventional warfare is a must. The long-range multiple rocket launching system is capable of providing combat support both during the participation of the forces in military actions, as well as during the training process. The multiple rocket launcher systems, which are an important part of the ground artillery system, will act independently or integrated with the other systems for the accomplishment of the missions," the National Defense Ministry states.

Due to their interoperability, the multiple rocket launcher systems can be made available to NATO for the fulfillment of Romania's commitments within the Alliance and regional initiatives.

The HIMARS system has proven its operational maturity in real conflicts, being tested during military operations, the cited release also states.