WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland will establish a service centre for HIMARS rocket launchers in 2023 and is negotiating the details of an order for 500 more launchers, the Polish defence minister said on Thursday.
Mariusz Blaszczak said after talks with Lockheed Martin Corp management that the HIMARS maker was ready to cooperate with Poland’s defense industry to increase production of the launchers.
“Later this year we will create a HIMARS centre similar to the Abrams center already operating in Poland,” Mariusz Blaszczak told public broadcaster TVP.
“Our assumption is that the HIMARS centre will be a hub for the service and production of HIMARS not only for Polish needs but also for the needs of (other) European countries,” he added.
Blaszczak said the first U.S-made HIMARS launchers, ordered in 2019, would reach Poland in mid-May.
In February U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of long-range missiles, rockets and launchers to Poland, including 18 HIMARS launchers.
Blaszczak also said the U.S. Congress had approved the sale of an additional 500 launchers to be mounted on Polish Jelcz trucks.
Last May, Poland requested an additional 500 HIMARS launchers from the United States but, according to Polish media, Lockheed Martin said it was only possible to offer around 200.
Blaszczak said he would be meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday to sign a cooperation deal regarding weapons orders.
“This agreement will also create a basis for the Polish defense industry to engage more effectively in cooperation with the U.S. defense industry.”
(Reporting by Karol Badohal; Editing by Toby Chopra)
