Poland Makes Unprecedented HIMARS Rocket Artillery Deployment Across Russia’s Northern Border

The Polish Army has deployed M142 HIMARS rocket artillery systems to Finland to participate in NATO’s Swift Response 25 military exercises, as part of a broader contribution that includes personnel from both the 1st Rocket Brigade and the 6th Airborne Brigade. The exercises have been spread across the territories of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania, all of which are in close proximity to Russian forces. The deployment of HIMARS to Finland highlights the considerable challenges Russia faces from the effective doubling of its land border with NATO, which occurred when Helsinki acceded to the alliance on April 4, 2023. Each HIMARS launcher can deploy eithersix GMLRS rockets with 80 kilometre ranges, or an ATACMS ballistic missile with a range exceeding 300 kilometres. New PrSM rounds are currently under development for the system with a range of over 400 kilometres. The range of these systems, and the vastness of Russia’s territory, places significant further strain on Russian air defences, with the ability of NATO members and Poland in particular to surge rocket artillery deployments to Finland at times of high tensions posing a major new security challenge.

The Polish Defence Ministry placed its first order for HIMARS in 2019, and received its first system in April 2023. Five months later in September 2023 the Polish government approved plans to procure 486 HIMARS, which will be mounted on Polish made Jelcz 6X6 trucks as part of a joint project with Lockheed Martin. Alongside HIMARS, the Polish government in October 2022 signed a $6 billion framework agreement for the acquisition of 288 South Korean K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery launchers and thousands of 239mm rockets and 600mm missiles, before signing a new $1.6 billion order for to acquisition of 72 more launches in April 2024. The scale of these procurements is set to provide the country with by far the most formidable arsenal of rocket artillery systems and tactical ballistic missiles in Europe. This mirrors the country’s broader investments in building up its ground forces with very large scale acquisitions, including with the planned procurement of 1000 South Korean K2 tanks and 366 American M1 Abrams tanks, and 484 South Korean K9 155mm mobile howitzers. Reliance on South Korea and the United States, which are seen to be able to produce equipment far more quickly and efficiently than European arms producers, and often with far superior capabilities, has been an important factor facilitating the major improvements to Polish Army capabilities.

HIMARS have gained considerable successes in the hands of the Ukrainian Army, with one of the most notable being a strike on January 1, 2023, which killed 89 Russian military personnel after hitting a temporary barracks in the Donetsk region. Although HIMARS were initially reported to be highly effective when deployed in 2022, however, Ukrainian forces by the end of the year were reporting that Russian forces had increasingly adapted to their strikes, which were proving less effecting with time. By mid-2024,interviews with personnel on the frontlines conducted by a number Western media outlets revealed that the utility of HIMARS and other guided weapons was increasingly limited for targeting frontline positions due to the advanced electronic warfare countermeasures employed by Russian forces. The systems have nevertheless gained notable successes on a number of occasions, including by targeting Russian assets further behind the frontlines using ATACMS ballistic missiles. Targets have ranged from S-400 air defence systems to vital energy infrastructure.