The US State Department announced yesterday that it agrees with ‘the possible sale’ of the Himars missile systems to the Netherlands. However, the sale is not yet complete, this is seen as a first step.
Up to 300 kilometers
Himars missiles are fired from a truck. The system has been around since the late 1990s and a target can be fired at from a distance of up to 300 kilometers.
The United States has also supplied Himars missile systems to Ukraine so that the country can defend itself against the Russian invasion.
Last autumn, the Dutch Secretary of State for Defence, Christophe van der Maat, announced that billions will be earmarked for heavy artillery for the army.
In a letter to the House of Representatives, he wrote that the war in Ukraine shows that it is necessary ‘to be able to act in all parts of the spectrum of violence’. For the first time since 2004, he promised the Dutch army rocket artillery again.
Before the end of this year
Van der Maat then added that an amount of about 250 million to 1 billion euros will be allocated for this. He hoped that a rocket artillery system could be delivered before the end of this year.
According to the Pentagon, there is about 670 million dollars (630 million euros) involved in the purchase.
