Australia’s fresh HIMARS hankering may signal ship-killer role

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The Australian Army’s appetite for the M142 HIMARS is proving voracious. With the first two of 42 units arriving in Australia only in March, the country is already eyeing another 48 of these U.S.-built rocket launchers.

This ambition was revealed in a notification issued by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency – or DSCA – published on Sep. 30.

The DSCA stated that the U.S. government had approved this Foreign Military Sale of up to 48 rocket launcher vehicles, M1084A2 HIMARS resupply vehicles, M1095 trailers and Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket pods.

However, rather than just bolstering its rocket artillery capabilities, the U.S. announcement may indicate that Australia is leaning towards the HIMARS and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) combo to meet the requirements of Project Land 8113 Phase 2.

Under this project, Australia is seeking a land-based maritime strike capability.

In December 2024, Canberra had narrowed the competition to the HIMARS-PrSM and the StrikeMaster. The latter couples a Thales Bushmaster 4x4 chassis with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) from Kongsberg.

The government is expected to formally announce the winner of the Land 8113 Phase 2 soon. However, Australia’s request does not automatically mean HIMARS has won the competition, since formally asking for pricing is a normal part of the procurement process.

There is even speculation the army might adopt both anti-ship missile platforms, especially since the NSM and Bushmaster are already in widespread service.

The potential HIMARS deal, yet to be concluded, is worth up to $705 million, the DSCA said.

The notification added that Australia is one of the most important U.S allies in the Western Pacific.

“The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the Western Pacific.”

Increment 2 of the PrSM adds a dual-mode seeker to the missile, which allows it to strike moving targets, such as ships, up to 310 miles (500km) away. Australia has already invested millions of dollars in co-development of PrSM Increment 2.

Lockheed Martin bagged a first Australian order for 20 HIMARS in 2020, then for another 22 a year later. These 42 units are rolling out to 54 Siege Battery, 14 Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, which is part of the 10th Fires Brigade based near Adelaide.

It is believed around eight HIMARS are in Australia already, with all 42 contracted vehicles due for delivery by 2027.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the HIMARS “is a game-changer for army. HIMARS will enable army to strike land and maritime targets, and is a key part of the integrated force’s long-range strike capability.”

Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.

新西兰基督城——澳大利亚陆军对M142“海马斯”火箭炮的需求可谓如饥似渴。42套“海马斯”火箭炮中的前两套于今年3月才抵达澳大利亚，而该国已计划再采购48套这种美国制造的火箭炮。

这一雄心壮志在国防安全合作局（DSCA）于 9 月 30 日发布的一份通知中有所披露。

美国国防安全合作局 (DSCA) 表示，美国政府已批准向外国出售至多 48 辆火箭发射车、M1084A2 HIMARS 补给车、M1095 拖车和低成本缩减射程练习火箭吊舱。

然而，美国的声明可能表明，澳大利亚不仅要加强其火箭炮能力，还要倾向于采用 HIMARS 和精确打击导弹 (PrSM) 的组合来满足陆地 8113 项目第二阶段的要求。

在这个项目下，澳大利亚正在寻求陆基海上打击能力。

2024年12月，堪培拉将竞争范围缩小到HIMARS-PrSM和StrikeMaster两款系统。后者是将泰雷兹Bushmaster 4x4底盘与康斯伯格公司的海军打击导弹（NSM）相结合。

预计政府将很快正式宣布8113地块二期项目的中标者。然而，澳大利亚的询价并不意味着HIMARS公司已经赢得竞标，因为正式询价是采购流程中的正常环节。

甚至有人猜测，陆军可能会同时采用这两种反舰导弹平台，尤其是考虑到 NSM 和 Bushmaster 已经广泛服役。

美国国防安全合作局表示，尚未最终敲定的HIMARS潜在交易价值高达7.05亿美元。

通知还补充说，澳大利亚是美国在西太平洋地区最重要的盟友之一。

“这一政治和经济强国的战略位置对确保西太平洋地区的和平与经济稳定做出了重大贡献。”

PrSM导弹第二阶段改进型增加了一个双模导引头，使其能够打击最远500公里（310英里）外的移动目标，例如舰船。澳大利亚已投入数百万美元参与PrSM第二阶段改进型的联合研发。

洛克希德·马丁公司于2020年首次获得澳大利亚的订单，订购了20套HIMARS防空导弹系统，一年后又追加了22套。这42套系统将交付给驻扎在阿德莱德附近的澳大利亚皇家炮兵第14团第54攻城炮兵连，该连隶属于第10火力旅。

据信，澳大利亚目前已有约 8 辆 HIMARS 装甲车，所有 42 辆合同车辆将于 2027 年交付完毕。

国防部长理查德·马尔斯表示，HIMARS“对陆军来说是一项变革性的武器。HIMARS将使陆军能够打击陆地和海上目标，是联合部队远程打击能力的关键组成部分。”

戈登·阿瑟是《防务新闻》的亚洲特派记者。在香港工作20年后，他现居新西兰。他曾到访亚太地区约20个国家，参加过军事演习和防务展览。