Rheinmetall Seeks to License Produce HIMARS
The CEO of Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, discussed his intentions to sign a deal with Lockheed Martin to produce the company’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System in Germany. The war in Ukraine has brought a great deal of attention to this incredibly mobile and firepower-dense system. With only 20 HIMARS delivered to Ukraine (and 18 on the way) the system has had a remarkable effect on Russian tactical conduct. Using the GPS-guided GMLRS round HIMARS can reliably hit targets 70km away with a dispersion of only a few meters. During their initial deployment, Russian ammo stockpiles were regularly being struck with spectacular results. Thanks to expansive space-based imagery and electronic intelligence gathering any exposed targets within 50-60km of the frontlines became liable to precision bombardment.
Many NATO members have taken note, notably all three Baltic states have put in orders for HIMARS. Poland ordered 20 back in 2019 with the first system to be delivered next year. News broke of Poland seeking 500 HIMARS systems in May, however, the US Department of Defense hasn’t cleared any beyond the 20 ordered and US production would not be able to meet such huge volumes. Poland instead turned to South Korea and signed for the procurement of nearly 300 Chunmoo multiple-rocket launchers which are heavier than HIMARS with two pods instead of one.
Clearly, there is a growing demand for these systems and without any domestic European MLRS analogue there’s a gap in the market that Rheinmetall seeks to fill. Germany and France have both donated some of their MLRS systems to Ukraine which will need replacement as will eventually the entire fleet as it ages. With license production of HIMARS, Rheinmetall seeks to capitalize on this. Having already made significant investments in tactical trucks and munitions production Rheinmetall notes that they are well prepared to take on the task. While the deal won’t be finalized until the Munich Security Conference which begins February 17, Mr. Papperger is confident enough to speak to the media.
Notably, Rheinmetall’s German rival, KMW, signed a deal with Elbit Systems to create their own European MLRS that combined KMW’s heavy vehicle expertise with Elbit’s portfolio of guided rocket artillery. This Israeli/German hybrid will likely be heavier than HIMARS, perhaps making the systems complimentary.