NATO member Estonia received six additional U.S.-made M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) last month. The systems were delivered to the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) at Ämari Air Base, located about twenty-three miles southwest of the capital of Tallinn.

Only last November did the base reopen after a significant renovation that upgraded its capabilities to support NATO Air Policing missions in the Baltic region. While the Estonian Air Force has a strength of just over 1,500 personnel and no operational combat aircraft, the base provides airspace surveillance and full national radar coverage for the NATO mission.

HIMAR Systems Are All Around the Baltic States

In December 2022, the Estonian Center for Defense Investments (ECDI) signed a $200 million contract with the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to transfer the mobile launchers. 

In addition to the six HIMARS, which were delivered to Estonia on a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 transport aircraft, Washington is also providing rockets with a range of up to 250 miles, along with communication systems, training, logistics, and life-cycle support for the mobile launchers.

The commander of the Estonian Division, the primary combat unit of the Estonian Land Forces, explained that the training could be expedited. 

“The arrival of HIMARS systems provides important additional capabilities for fulfilling the division-level tasks of the [Estonian] Defense Forces. Since........

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