The Netherlands could become the next NATO ally to acquire the U.S.-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, which have been crucial in defending against Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The State Department said Thursday that it has approved a potential sale of the HIMARS equipment to the Netherlands and that it had informed Congress of the proposed transaction, worth an estimated $670 million.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe," the department said, according to Newsweek.
Under the deal, the Dutch would purchase 20 HIMARS launchers along with 17 Humvees. Defense News reports the package also included support and communications equipment, as well as 29 M30A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System alternative warhead missile pods with the insensitive munitions propulsion system.
"The proposed sale will improve the Netherlands' military goals of updating capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies," the State Department said, according to Newsweek.
"The Netherlands intends to use these defense articles and services to modernize its armed forces and expand its capability to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats. The Netherlands will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces."
According to Defense News, the State Department approved a possible foreign military sale to the Netherlands in July for $1.2 billion involving Raytheon Technologies-made Patriot missiles.
The Netherlands has supported Ukraine in its nearly yearlong defense effort against the unprovoked Russian invasion. During a visit to the White House in January, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country planned to join Germany and the U.S. in training Ukrainians on the Patriot system.
Prompted by the success of the HIMARS system in Ukraine, several NATO allies on the bloc’s eastern front have placed orders for the rocket launchers, with Lithuania inking a deal for eight in November shortly after Estonia and Latvia ordered six each, according to Newsweek.
Since Russian tanks rolled across Ukraine’s border last February, the United States has provided the besieged country with 20 HIMARS systems.
Poland had already agreed to purchase 20 HIMARS systems in 2018. Now in the midst of an expansion in military spending, Warsaw is planning to secure several hundred more, though supplementary Chunmoo systems from South Korea are also reportedly being considered due to concerns about the HIMARS’ delivery time.
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