Estonia’s HIMARS Rocket Artillery To Begin Live Fire Training In Summer
The six High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems ordered for the Estonian Defence Forces were officially handed over on April 30, following their arrival in Estonia the day before.
According to Estonia’s military procurement agency, the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI), the Estonian Defence Forces’ HIMARS crews have already completed “pre-training” on the rocket artillery systems ahead of the start of live-fire exercises with the systems in the summer.
Estonia signed a contract with the United States to purchase the six HIMARS in December 2022. The package, which also includes munitions, communication solutions, training, logistics, and lifecycle support, has been funded by the U.S. as part of its broader security assistance to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank since the start of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“I’m very pleased that Estonia, in cooperation with our largest and most strategically important NATO ally, the United States, has brought our independent defense capability into a completely new era,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur. “The U.S.’s crucial role in both financing the procurement and training our defense personnel confirms once again that Estonia and the United States share a broad and deeply rooted defense partnership based on unwavering trust and common goals.”
“HIMARS is a joint force development project among the three Baltic states, and today we are starting to see that capability take real shape,” said Magnus-Valdemar Saar, Director General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments. “The same systems will soon be delivered to our neighbors Latvia and Lithuania, representing a major leap in the region’s defense capabilities, enabling rapid strike effects deep into enemy territory. While defense procurement cooperation among the Baltic states is close, joint programs of this scale are rare, and we’re pleased that this cooperation involved the United States and Lockheed Martin,” said Saar.
Matthew Wall, the United States’ charge d’affaires at its embassy in Tallinn, said the delivery of the HIMARS was “one of the most significant capability upgrades in Estonian military history, allowing commanders to influence the deep fight and strike targets hundreds of kilometers away”. “Today, Estonia demonstrates yet again that it is a capable, serious Ally and friend of the United States. An Ally that is both committed to its own defense and to making NATO stronger,” continued Wall.