The Latvian Defense Ministry is keen on purchasing HIMARS artillery units from the United States and has received several offers from suppliers of the coastal defense missiles, according to reports from the LETA news wire.
The Baltic nation is reportedly interested in the units having seen their effectiveness in Ukraine.
The enhancement of artillery capability is one of the three security priorities in Latvia, alongside coastal defense and an air defense system. For the latter, it is planning to share and purchase this together with neighboring Estonia.
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is being used by Ukrainian forces against the invading Russians. It has enabled the Ukrainians to launch precision attacks on command systems and enemy supply lines.
The Latvian government hopes that it will have its HIMARS units in place before 2025; however, the high demand for these units from Ukraine and elsewhere could slow down delivery.
Latvia, which has committed to increasing its defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP over the coming three years, is supporting Ukraine in its resistance against Russian aggression. The country’s foreign minister, Edgars Rinkevics, appealed on Sunday for more support from the West for Ukraine, calling for the delivery of more HIMARS units and other modern systems.
The Ukrainian defense minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, has gone on record saying Ukraine requires 50 HIMARS units for defensive purposes and 100 to launch a counter-offensive against Russia.
