U.S. planning HIMARS Training Center in Europe
9 February, 2023 M142 HIMARS in Estonia. January 2023. Photo credits: 56th Artillery Command
The U.S. plans to set up a training center in Europe to train operators of M142 HIMARS systems. A high-ranking U.S. general told VOA about this. Demand for the systems in Eastern Europe is increasing following the weapon's successes in Ukraine.
"We're still in the preliminary stages here, but it would be an area that we would maybe pull in several countries to one location," V Corps commander Lieutenant General John Kolasheski, who is responsible for U.S. Army operations along NATO's eastern flank. The news came as the State Department on Tuesday approved the potential sale of 18 HIMARS launchers along with missiles to Poland.
John Kolasheski. Photo credits: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
The proposed HIMARS program would be available to NATO countries that are approved for foreign military sales of the long-range artillery systems.
"They [NATO] see the brutality of what has taken place in Ukraine, and there is a sense of urgency, there's a sense of purpose, and all 30 nations are united to come together to this effective defense of NATO terrain," Kolasheski said. Earlier this week, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that "one of the biggest lessons learned" from the war in Ukraine is that "long fire is extremely important." Estonia has purchased six HIMARS units that are expected to be delivered in the 2024-25 time frame.
An American HIMARS platoon is providing extra defensive capabilities in the Baltics, and Pevkur said the platoon is also allowing Estonian forces to begin training on the rocket systems "today" so they will be ready to use them "from day one."
M142 HIMARS in Estonia. January 2023. Photo credits: 56th Artillery Command
Kolasheski said the suggested HIMARS academy would be "a similar construct" to the Abrams Tank Training Academy, which opened near Poznan, Poland, last year.
Poland was the first European ally to acquire the Abrams, purchasing 250 M1A2 Abrams tanks last year and 116 M1A1 Abrams tanks in January.
"??????????" ?????? ??????? ????????? ????????? ?????????
?????? ????? ?
30 ??? (????
1 ????) ???????? ??? ????????? ????:
- PayPal - [email protected]
- ?????????? 4149 6293 1808 2567
- monobank 4441 1144 4179 6255
- ETH 0xeEAEAd0d28ea8e0cdadB2692765365e7F54004a3
???? ? "??????????" ?? ???? ??????????
Twitter || Telegram || Facebook || Youtube