Estonia has signed a contract to buy HIMARS rocket launch systems from the US for 200 million dollars (189 million euros), the Estonian Defense Investment Center (ECDI) announced on Saturday.
The executive director of ECDI, Magnus-Valdemar Saar, reached an agreement on Friday with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), an agency of the US Department of Defense, to increase the “capacity of indirect fire” [ou seja, em alvos não visíveis para o operador da bateria] Estonian forces, according to a statement.
This type of rocket launcher was offered by the United States to Ukraine, effectively bolstering its firing capability in the face of the Russian invasion launched on February 24.
Since then, Russia’s neighbor Estonia has increased its defense spending, as have its Baltic neighbors Lithuania and Latvia, as well as Poland.
This is the largest arms purchase in Estonian history. Under this contract, the Estonian side will provide ammunition, as well as communication, training, logistics and life-cycle solutions, said Ramil Lipp, head of ECDI’s armaments department.
The ‘rockets’ ordered by Talin – whose exact number was not specified – are of various types, with a range ranging from 70 to 300 kilometers, which will be delivered from 2024.
In November, Lithuania announced its intention to buy eight HIMARS for 495 million dollars (469 million euros).
Source: Observadora
