Netherlands may buy HIMARS rocket systems from US

This is reported by NOS.

The Netherlands is interested in purchasing 20 HIMARS rocket launching systems and other weapons. If the deal goes through, it will cost about $670 million (€627 million). It is expected to be signed in early 2023. The deadline for the delivery of weapons to the Netherlands is the end of this year.

However, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, no agreements have been signed yet. 

The publication also notes that the United States usually informs about major arms deals before they are finalized.

In October 2022, Secretary of Defense Christophe van der Maat said that the Netherlands was looking to buy rocket artillery weapons for the first time since 2004. He mentioned HIMARS as an option.

He noted that the war in Ukraine had shown that there was a need "to be able to act in all parts of the spectrum of violence." According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, between 250 million and 1 billion euros are to be spent on the purchase of such weapons.

• On February 10, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said that 18 Leopard 2A6 battle tanks that the country leases from Germany would not go to Ukraine.