The HIMARS launchers ordered in 2019 will be in Poland this year; We hope that in the shortest possible time those launchers will appear for sale in Poland, which have now been approved by the US Congress – said Deputy Prime Minister, Chief of the Ministry of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak. There are also talks of building a missile factory for these launchers in Poland, he added.
The head of the Defense Ministry told Polsat News on Thursday that the US HIMARS launchers ordered in 2019 will arrive in Poland “later this year”.
It will be one squadron, twenty launchers with ammunition up to 300 kilometers
– added.
At the same time, he noted that talks are underway “so that those (HIMARS launchers) now approved by the US Congress will appear as soon as possible.”
This is a matter of production and now this production has increased in quantity, so we hope that these HIMARS will be in Poland in the shortest possible time
Blaszczak said.
In 2019, Poland purchased 20 HIMARS high mobility rocket artillery systems (with 18 combat and two training launchers) for US$414 million. The Polish side expressed interest in purchasing nearly 500 additional launchers in February this year the US government responded positively to the Polish request for proposals and agreed to the possible sale of 484 launchers, including 18 on US vehicles and the rest for assembly on Polish trucks. On Thursday morning, the head of the Department of National Defense announced that the US Congress had approved the sale of nearly 500 HIMARS launchers to Poland. The maximum purchase value is $10 billion.
“We’ll talk about the details, we’ll negotiate”
Blaszczak pointed out in Polsat News that the price indicated by the US Congress is the maximum price.
We’ll talk about the details, we’ll negotiate
he assured. At the same time, he judged that “those who say we pay a lot for guns (…) don’t know what they are talking about”.
“We draw conclusions from the war in Ukraine
When asked whether Poland can afford to buy launchers in such quantity and price, the deputy prime minister replied that “the question is whether we can afford to repeat the scenes that took place in Bucza or Irpien on Polish soil.”
We draw conclusions from the war in Ukraine (…) and we are determined to strengthen the Polish army to deter the aggressor
he stressed.
When asked about plans to build a HIMARS missile factory in Poland, the head of the Ministry of National Defense replied: “We are negotiating and talking about it.”
Earlier, a munitions factory will be built, in co-production with Korea
– added.
kk/PAP
Source: wPolityce