Estonia may buy an alternative to US HIMARS due to delivery delays

Estonia is considering purchasing alternative high-precision long-range missile systems, as the United States will not be able to deliver M142 HIMARS on time.

Here's What We Know

In an interview with Breaking Defence, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said that there are serious concerns about delays in the execution of the HIMARS order, and there is no time to wait. If the situation does not change, Tallinn may purchase a similar system from other manufacturers.

Estonia placed its first order for HIMARS back in 2022, worth €200 million. The procurement permit provided for six HIMARS launchers, 18 ATACMS missiles, 36 GMLRS "packages" (six missiles each) and 72 ER GMLRS "packages", with a total value of up to $500 million. However, the first units are expected to be delivered only in 2025, which is a cause for concern.

Depending on how Washington responds to Estonia's requests, Tallinn will either allocate the second tranche of HIMARS or change course and possibly choose an alternative. The decision on the chosen platform will be made in "a few months".

As an alternative, Estonia could purchase Korean K239 Chunmoo, as Poland has done, or the Israeli PULS system, which was recently ordered by Germany. The final decision on the choice will be made in the coming months.

The situation demonstrates why countries with even small armed forces, such as Estonia (7,000 troops, of which 3,75,000 are ground troops), are forced to create a so-called "zoo" of different types of weapons.

Source: Breaking Defence