On February 16, 2023, the US Department of Defense Agency for Military Cooperation (Defense Security Cooperation Agency - DSCA) sent a notification to the US Congress about the planned upcoming sale to the Netherlands through the US program of intergovernmental foreign military sales Foreign Military Sales (FMS) at the request of the Dutch government of HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) land-based missile systems manufactured by Lockheed Corporation Martin. This delivery is approved by the U.S. Department of State. The total cost of the proposed delivery will be $670 million, including missiles, and training and technical support packages.
Combat vehicles of the M142 HIMARS missile system of the US Army are firing GMLRS (c) precision-guided missiles of the US ArmyAccording to the notification, the delivery to the Netherlands should include 20 M142 HIMARS combat vehicles, 39 six-shot transport and launch modules with six GMLRS M30A2 Alternative Warhead (AW) adjustable precision missiles with a fragmentation warhead and improved IMPS (Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System) engines in each (a total of 234 missiles), 38 six-shot transport and launch modules with six GMLRS M31A2 Modular correctable missiles with a monoblock warhead and advanced IMPS engines in each (228 missiles totaled), and 80 ATACMS M57 tactical missiles.
The delivery will also include practical M28A2 LCRPRP missiles, 17 M1152A1 HMMWV vehicles, an unnamed number of FMTV trucks in the M1084A2, M1089A2 and M1095 versions, communication systems, educational equipment, and other related equipment, as well as logistical support and training.
Earlier in 2022, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands, Christoph van der Maat, said in parliament that the country's Ministry of Defense was considering the possibility of purchasing long-range rocket and artillery weapons, since the war in Ukraine emphasized the need "to be able to operate in all areas of the spectrum of armed struggle." Van der Maat then named HIMARS missile systems as an option for purchase, stating that up to 1 billion euros is planned to be allocated for the acquisition of rocket and artillery systems.
