Poland received the first batch of American HIMARS launchers, which it plans to deploy in the border region with Russia, the Polish Minister of Defense announced on Monday.

HIMARS missile installationPhoto: Mariusz Burcz / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia

“This weapon will be placed in the northeastern part of our country (…), its task will be to deter the aggressor,” Mariusz Blaszczak told the press, according to AFP and Agerpres.

In March, the Polish Ministry of Defense specified that these long-range systems will be equipped with a military unit based in Olsztyn, approximately 80 kilometers from the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

According to Blaszczak, HIMARS missile launchers “will strengthen the Polish army on the eastern flank of the country and the North Atlantic Alliance.”

“Fixed goal: for HIMARS co-production to take place in Poland”

Poland, a country that borders Ukraine, which it strongly supports, purchased 20 HIMARS in 2019 and has now received the first batch of these systems.

Warsaw says it is negotiating with the US to purchase a much larger number of such weapons.

“The US Congress approved the sale of almost 500 missile launchers to Poland. They will be delivered to Poland as soon as possible,” Blaszczak said on Monday.

“We want to make sure that within the framework of this new contract that is being negotiated, the joint production of HIMARS can take place in Poland. This is the goal we have set for ourselves,” he added.

Poland has announced a significant increase in defense spending to 4% of gross domestic product (GDP), and the Polish prime minister has explained that his country must arm itself “faster” in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Read also: Poland will open a HIMARS service center in 2023 / Military plans of Warsaw

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