Estonia to acquire three additional HIMARS launchers

Estonia has signed an agreement with US defence company Lockheed Martin to purchase three additional HIMARS rocket artillery systems, alongside ammunition and related investments in the country’s defence industry.

The deal was concluded between the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment and Lockheed Martin, and includes an investment of around $11 million into Estonia’s domestic defence sector, Caliber.Az reports via Estonian media.

“Additional HIMARS systems will provide the Estonian Defence Forces and NATO with the necessary deep-strike capability, significantly strengthening both our independent defence capability and deterrence,” Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said, adding that closer cooperation with Lockheed Martin would directly support the development of Estonia’s defence industry.

Estonia received its first six HIMARS systems from Lockheed Martin last spring. The newly ordered launchers and additional munitions are part of a continued expansion of cooperation with one of the world’s largest defence manufacturers.

Officials said the agreement also includes the development of maintenance capacity for HIMARS components in Estonia, to be carried out by local companies, strengthening domestic industrial involvement.

The $11 million investment will be coordinated across the region, with similar contributions planned in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland, aimed at building broader regional expertise and local support capabilities.

The HIMARS (M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) provides precision-strike capability at ranges exceeding 300 kilometres and is fully interoperable with NATO systems, allowing rapid deployment and integration into allied operations.

The additional systems are scheduled to be delivered to Estonia in 2027.

Estonia currently operates six HIMARS launchers, delivered in April last year. Lithuania and Latvia also field the same systems. Estonia is also expanding its rocket artillery capability through a separate purchase of South Korean Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems, which are expected to arrive in late 2027.

By Aghakazim Guliyev