The State Department on October 24 approved two possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Latvia and Japan for the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) Block 2B Tactical Missiles, respectively.
Latvia’s FMS request, valued at $220 million, covers six Lockheed Martin
[LMT] HIMARS systems and 12 M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS).
The sale also includes 12 M31A2 GMLRS Unitary High Explosive Pods with IMPS, 10 M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Pods, various training and support equipment, spares and logistical support.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said Latvia will use this equipment to meet current and future threats and enhance interoperability with the U.S. and allied forces.
Separately, Japan requested a $74.6 million sale in up to 63 RTX [RTX] RIM-116E RAM Block 2B Tactical Missiles. The order includes RAM guided missile round pack tri-pack shipping and storage containers, training equipment, technical and logistic support services and establishment of an Intermediate Level Maintenance Facility.
DSCA said Japan would use the missiles to provide “significantly enhanced self-defense for surface units defending/transiting/patrolling critical air and sea lines of communication.”
The agency noted the dollar values listed are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements, so the actual final dollar value could be lower when the deals are concluded.
This HIMARS sale comes after a series of recent sales to the U.S. and internationally in the past year alongside U.S. providing dozens of HIMARS launchers and GMLRS rockets to Ukraine as it defends against the Russian invasion.
In May, the Army awarded Lockheed Martin an $615 million deal for HIMARS launchers production for the Army and international customers (Defense Daily, May 1).
The Army also previously awarded the company a $431 million deal last December to help replenish stockpiles of HIMARS sent to Ukraine (Defense Daily, Dec. 2, 2022).
A year ago Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO James Taiclet said the company was trying to increase HIMARS production to 96 units annually (Defense Daily, Oct. 18, 2022).
Several international sales have matched the U.S. Army’s increased purchases.
In April, the State Department approved a $524.2 million deal to provide 18 launchers to Morocco with dozens of ATACMS and GMLRS missiles and rockets (Defense Daily, April 11).
In February, the State Department also approved a $670 million deal to sell 20 HIMARS rockets with munitions to the Netherlands (Defense Daily, Feb. 16) and a $10 billion sale for 18 HIMAR launchers and munitions to Poland (Defense Daily, Feb. 7).
Last December, Latvia’s neighbor Lithuania signed a $495 million deal to procure eight HIMARS with dozens of GMLRS rockets and 18 ATACMS missiles (Defense Daily, Dec. 19, 2022).