Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

HIMARS: The Rocket Weapon Creating Chaos for Russia in Ukraine

HIMARS
M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicles with 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard participating in Saber Strike 17 execute a fire mission at Bemoko Piskie, Poland, June 16, 2017. This year’s exercise includes integrated and synchronized deterrence-oriented training designed to improve interoperability and readiness of the 20 participating nations’ militaries. (U.S. Army photo by Markus Rauchenberger)

What is HIMARS? An Expert Explains –  The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is just what the name suggests: a mobile rocket launcher. Relatively lightweight, the system is capable of launching multiple rockets from its mounting on the back of a standard U.S. Army M1140 truck frame. The system carries a pod that can be equipped with six 227mm GMLRS rockets, or alternatively, with one 610mm ATACMS missile.   

The HIMARS is “protecting our soldiers with combat proven reliability,” Lockheed Martin, the systems designer, said on its website. “Adversaries around the globe are becoming more sophisticated. To protect soldiers, citizens and infrastructure, our customers require the most advanced tactical missile capabilities. The Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is a strategic capability, improving homeland and important asset defense while reducing overall mission costs.”

Multiple Rocket System on Wheels

The HIMARS is essentially a M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) on wheels.

Employing a shoot-and-scoot capability, the system enhances the crew’s ability to survive in a combat zone. “HIMARS can emplace,  fire, relocate and conduct reload in a matter of minutes,” Lockheed Martin said, “dramatically reducing an adversary’s ability to locate and target HIMARS.”

The HIMARS pod is actually identical to the MLRS pod. Developed in the 1990s, the HIMARS first saw action in the Middle East, where the U.S. was embroiled in two decades of conflict. The HIMARS made headlines in 2010 when an HIMARS launched rocket killed 12 civilians in Afghanistan during Operation Moshtarak. Use of the HIMARS was suspended while an investigation was conducted.

Initially, there were concerns that the rocket system had fallen short, hitting the wrong target. But a British officer argued that the rockets were on target, that the civilian deaths were attributable to the Taliban, who used civilians as human shields. Lockheed, of course, maintains that the system is highly accurate. “With a recognized and proven range up to 300km and a variety of future munitions in development that will offer extended range beyond 499 km, HIMARS delivers affordable, quick, long-range precision strikes.”

Highly Transportable

The HIMARS is highly transportable and deployable just about anywhere. The entire system, truck and all, can conveniently be loaded into the back of a C-130 Hercules at which point the system can then be flown in, even to remote airfields. The HIMARS saw heavy action in Iraq against ISIS; in 2015, the U.S. Army reported that it had fired over 400 HIMARS rockets at ISIS. 

By 2016, Lockheed was boasting that the system had crossed the 1 million operational hours threshold and had achieved a commendable 99 percent operational readiness rate. Since 2016, the operational hours have more than doubled. “The HIMARS solution is a highly reliable, combat proven, fielded system that has exceeded all performance requirements. There are more than 540 fielded systems worldwide that have accumulated over 2,000,000 operating hours,” Lockheed Martin said.

Currently, the weapons platform is seeing action in Ukraine; initially, the U.S. supplied Ukraine with four HIMARS systems. But as the system has proven successful against Russian invaders, the U.S. has continued supplying Ukraine with more HIMARS systems. Allegedly, eight Ukrainian HIMARS systems have destroyed 30 Russian command stations, plus ammunition storage facilities – although this is highly disputed. Today, Ukraine is operating as many as 16 HIMARS systems.

The system is one of the foreign-supplied weapons systems that is helping Ukraine thwart a much larger Russian force.

The Ukrainians have even created decoy HIMARS out of wood, to draw Russian fire. 

Harrison Kass is the Senior Defense Editor at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, he joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. He lives in Oregon and listens to Dokken. Follow him on Twitter @harrison_kass.

Written By

Harrison Kass is a Senior Defense Editor at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, he joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison has degrees from Lake Forest College, the University of Oregon School of Law, and New York University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. He lives in Oregon and regularly listens to Dokken.

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Friend

    September 3, 2022 at 8:42 am

    Not only is it going to wreak havoc in Russia. There’s plenty of NATO locations where those units will be displaced to after Russia is defeated. Hungary is plain lucky it hasn’t been invaded yet. Kosovo will receive some.
    Europe has to be cleansed of the russian puppets.

  2. Gary D Jacobs

    September 3, 2022 at 10:04 am

    What’s ‘highly disputed’ about HIMARS effect on ammo depots? There has been geolocated footage galore of Russian ammo depots blowing up all over territory in Ukraine they occupy. Unless it is a massive case of partisan activity that is having that impact. It looks like mostly HIMARS, with a bit of partisan activity.

    it would be nice if Biden had the balls to give Ukraine ATACMS. That said, at the every stage of the conflict, and even before, Biden and the EU were telling Ukraine what weapons they would not be given. With every Russian atrocity that line has shifted. I propose this approach to providing them ATACMS:

    Biden should start providing them quietly, and then allow Ukraine to unleash a barrage of them on a designated day. Biden should go on TV the same day and explain that he reached a deal with Ukraine to only use them on Ukrainian territory against the Russians. However, if the Russians continued to fire on Kharkiv from Belgorod, or otherwise violate the international border, Biden would eventually authorize Ukraine to retaliate on those areas from where Russia was firing on Ukraine from Russian territory. Alternatively, Russia can end hostilities and retreat to the pre-Feb 24 lines, after which time he would support negotiations.

  3. Yrral

    September 3, 2022 at 1:31 pm

    Zelensky so loved Ukrainain,that he gave all of Ukraine begotten son ,saying he that believeth in me ,shall not perish,but have ever lasting misery,Biden wanting too pump 13.7 some to finance the government,how many American state would like too get billions in free money from the National government, NATO is collapsing in resolve,you have all kind of inter dysfunctional NATO relationship,you wonder why they love the gullibility of American,a fool and his money soon parted, American lack critical thought in this war,this people are looking out for their interest at clueless American expense Google Brothers of Italy Party Google Ukrainain Soldiers Wife Sbu Google Czech War Protests

  4. Yrral

    September 3, 2022 at 1:33 pm

    The Himars are in Mykolaiv, according to Ukrainain Collaborators Google Mykolaiv Himars Arrest

  5. Putin Vlad

    September 3, 2022 at 3:59 pm

    Sometimes it seems to me that the average American learns history from picture books, which you call comics. In modern Russia, we have two sides. One side wants massive strikes against Ukraine and an early victory. Just like the Americans did in Iraq. Just destroy this country. The other side is in favor of slow and systematic warfare. All other parties that call for the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine are marginal and small. Now Putin is playing with Ukraine at a giveaway. Most Russians don’t like this hesitation. But if serious equipment is delivered to Ukraine, then Russia will systematically destroy its entire infrastructure (power stations, bridges, gas stations) and calmly defeat the freezing and starving enemy. The withdrawal of the army abroad on February 24 will turn into a revolution in Russia. Putin understands this and will never go for it.

  6. Mario

    September 4, 2022 at 7:29 am

    “then Russia will systematically destroy its entire infrastructure”
    russian ‘armed forces’ (you better call it a gang) have been unveiled as a bunch of stupid thugs. They can’t even go against an small unequipped army as the ukrinian. How do you think they perform against ONE of NATO middle sized army?
    russian military is not (just) a joke: it’s a shame.

  7. Mario

    September 4, 2022 at 7:33 am

    The Juarez cartel is scarier than the russian ‘armed forces’. In Los Angeles, they would be the least of the gangs…

  8. Mario

    September 4, 2022 at 7:41 am

    “But if serious equipment is delivered to Ukraine ‘(russia wil destroy it)'”
    You joking about HIMARS, Javelin, NLAWS, Caesar, Zuzanna, Harpoon, AMRAAM? NO defense against, as revealed.
    Keep dreaming, russian. And, YES: Ukrainia and russia put the deads and china and NATO put the money.

  9. airman

    September 9, 2022 at 8:46 pm

    In fact when somеone doesn’t understand after thаt its up to other viewers that they
    will aѕsist, sο һere it takes place.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement