{"id":62763,"date":"2022-10-19T17:21:47","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T17:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/10\/19\/pentagon-replacing-himars-launcher-and-rocket-stocks-sent-to-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:44:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:44:18","slug":"pentagon-replacing-himars-launcher-and-rocket-stocks-sent-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2022\/10\/19\/pentagon-replacing-himars-launcher-and-rocket-stocks-sent-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon replacing HIMARS launcher and rocket stocks sent to Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The U.S. military in recent weeks awarded Lockheed Martin<\/a> $179 million to replace High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems<\/a> and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems it sent from its own stockpiles to Ukraine<\/a>, according to Pentagon data set to be released on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

News of the spending, which is part of $3.4 billion in Ukraine-related contracting actions for arms and equipment since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war eight months ago, coincided with Lockheed\u2019s disclosure Tuesday that it\u2019s increasing HIMARS and GMLRS production by nearly 60 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The systems have become a key tool in Ukraine\u2019s ability to strike bridges that Russia has used to supply its troops, enabling Ukrainian forces to make inroads in Russia-controlled regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The replacement contracting actions include $95 million in August and September for HIMARS, which has played a pivotal role in Ukraine\u2019s counter-offensive against Russian troops in the east and south, and $84 million in September for the GPS-guided GMLRS rockets, which have a range of more than 80 kilometers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the way the Pentagon presents the information, it\u2019s unclear how much of the funding is to buy new systems and how much includes investments in the industrial base to expand or accelerate production throughput. The contracts are not expected to yield immediate deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReplacement contracts are expected to deliver over multiple years, as many capabilities delivered to Ukraine, such as advanced munitions, have two- to three-year production times,\u201d the Pentagon says in its fact sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lockheed is set to ramp up HIMARS production to 96 launchers annually, from its current level of 60, the firm\u2019s chief executive, Jim Taiclet<\/a> said during a third-quarter earnings call Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lockheed invested $65 million to buy parts in advance, an expense the government is expected to pay back, in order to speed up production, Taiclet said. The company anticipated demand for HIMARS and other products in Europe, which is arming up in the wake of Russia\u2019s invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was without a contract or any other memo or whatnot back from the government,\u201d Taiclet said of the investment. \u201cWe just went ahead and did that because we expected it to happen. So those parts are already being manufactured now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t