HIMARS are suitable for Greece

Any acquisition of HIMARS by our country will have many benefits, in relation to the strengthening of its defense armor, against the highly aggressive Turkey.

According to an article by a reputable International Defense Media, the US military is looking for a defense company that can build and deliver up to 100 High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems (HIMARS) per year, with the goal of delivering a total of 500 by 2028.

It is noted that the move comes as the country replenishes its stockpiles, which have been significantly depleted, supplying Ukraine for its defense against Russia.

The prospective contractor confirmed the above.

He also said that the deal would include everything from program management, comprehensive logistics support, to spare parts supply and training.

“Total quantities for HIMARS include all possible variants,” the military said.

Once delivered, the 500 new launchers would nearly double the global supply of the weapons platform.

The US Army currently has 363 HIMARS, while the US Marine Corps has 47.

Romania and Singapore both have 18 HIMARS, while Jordan has 12.

M142 HIMARS

Description

The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a lightweight multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army.

HIMARS carries a launch vehicle of either six GMLRS missiles or one ATACMS missile.

It is powered by a five-ton truck of the United States Army Medium Tactical Vehicle (FMTV) family and is capable of firing all missiles specified in the Multiple Launch Missile (MFOM) family of munitions.

The launcher can be transported by Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Planning

HIMARS is similar in design to the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), with the main exception that it is a wheeled vehicle. The HIMARS carries an ammunition carrier, which is identical to the carriers used by the M270, and includes an armored cabin of increased crew protection.

When firing GMLRS-Unitary precision rockets, HIMARS can achieve a range of 70+ kilometers, engage a target with low collateral damage, thus enabling close support of fighting friendly units, hitting enemy targets at a distance of 200 meters or more from them.

HIMARS was also tested as a single launch system for both artillery rockets and the surface-launched SLAMRAAM variant of the AMRAAM anti-aircraft missile.

In October 2017, The Marine Corps fired a HIMARS missile while at sea against a land target for the first time, specifically from the deck of the US amphibious assault ship USS Anchorage, demonstrating the system’s ability to operate while on board ships to deliver precision fire from a distance against enemy shores.

Standards

Crew 3: gunner, driver and captain

Weight 16,200 kg (35,800 lb)

Length 7 m (23 ft)

Width 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)

Height 3.2 m (10 ft)

Maximum Range 480 km (300 mi)

Road speed 85 km/h (53 mph)

Armament 1 carrier with 6 M30/M31 GMLRS rockets or 1 ATACMS missile

The weapon system is credited with Ukraine’s success in defending itself against Russian aggression, striking high-value targets with impressive accuracy, such as a number of ammunition-fuel depots, transportation hubs, Headquarters Locations, Command Stations and other targets

Why does its acquisition serve Greece?

From the above we understand that their possible acquisition by our country would have very important benefits, significantly strengthening our defense on the islands and Evros, while at the same time due to its long range there would be the possibility of attacking high priority targets on enemy territory

Aegean

Our islands are known to have been targeted by the Turks and the Archipelago appears to be the most likely theater of operations for a Greek-Turkish war, with which the leadership of Turkey constantly threatens us, first and foremost Erdogan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of, to follow closely.

It is a given that Turkey, in the event of a military conflict with our country, in order to take any amphibious-aircraft action against our islands in the Aegean for their occupation, will have to acquire aeronautical superiority in the Archipelago.

Without it as a prerequisite, any Turkish action will be crushed either in its initial stage or later, since the Turkish marines, their Special Forces and other forces that will attempt to establish or will establish beachhead and airbridges will be under the mercy of the fire of our Air Force and Navy, now that of the ground forces

Therefore, there must have been an aerial battle in the Aegean

The Turkish ports in the Aegean and the SE Mediterranean as a whole present a very important disadvantage, since due to the proximity to our islands, we will have the possibility of attacking them with HIMARS, either with GMLRS-Unitary rockets, or with ATACMS

The only exceptions are its ports, from Antalya and further south.

This is of great importance in case of our aeronautical military involvement in the Aegean with Turkey, as we mentioned above since if the Turkish ports and especially their shipbuilding repair zone facilities and their fleet’s Administrative Care support facilities are hit by our artillery, then the results will be devastating for the Turkish fleet.

Thus any Turkish warship that is attacked by us and needs to go for repairs, or suffers damage, or needs resupply, will be impossible to receive the slightest help from their ports in the Aegean, if and since we have hit them earlier as I mentioned above.

The above leads to very serious findings:

The survivability of the friendly artillery of our islands is very important, in order for them to be able to hit, from the start of operations, such critical and vital land facilities of the Turkish ports, for the safety and survival of the Turkish fleet.
Without them, sooner or later the Turkish fleet will be destroyed, sending Erdogan’s “Blue Homeland” to the bottom of our Aegean Sea.
Finally, the Turkish S-400s will have to deal with the Greek air force and the HIMARS, with the result that their position will be outside the range of the latter for security reasons, thus reducing their range in the Aegean.

Also in the range of HIMARS targets is that they will also be high priority targets of the Turks in the event of a military conflict, such as a number of ammunition – fuel depots, transport hubs, Headquarters Locations, Command Stations, concentrations of forces and means and other targets.

As HIMARS-class areas, not only the closest to our Asia Minor coastal islands should be considered, but also the “water islands”, depending on the geographical division in the Aegean, since such a thing is feasible from Samos and further south.

We point out that in such a case, it is not excluded due to the range and accuracy of HIMARS fire, the provision of close support fire from a batira island to our fighting units on a first-line island in the Aegean, located close to the Asia Minor coast.

The ability to also airlift them to our islands with C-130 transport aircraft available to our Air Force is another important factor that this particular weapon system can play a very important role in the development of military operations in our islands.

Last I left was the successful launch test of the HIMARS system from the deck of the US amphibious assault ship USS Anchorage in 2017 against an enemy coastal target, which in our view should be viewed differently by our Navy.

Evros

Regarding the targets in the Evros, these will be similar to those in the Aegean, with an emphasis on the concentrations of the enemy’s forces and means, aiming at the disorganization of his attack before it is even manifested by their Motorized and Armored Brigades, but also on the existing bridges of the river Evros and on those that the Turks will create with the two Engineer Regiments that have, the 2nd and 5th SMF in order to bridge the river.

I conclude by pointing out that multiple positions should be indicated as HIMARS classroom areas, with their safety as a guiding principle, as well as their regular use by a defender, on the basis of which roughly they should be about 2/3 of their range away from the POT (front site boundary), in this case the Evros river except for the Karaagats abutment area.

With this way of HIMARS arrangement, it is possible to attack enemy targets in Eastern Thrace on the one hand, on the other hand there is a great possibility of providing close support fire to fighting friendly units within our defense arrangement, as well as “sealing it” in case of a breach by the enemy

Epilogue

The above demonstrates the multiple benefits that any acquisition of HIMARS by our country will have, in relation to the strengthening of its defense armor, against the highly aggressive Turkey.

In our opinion, it is imperative for our country to move as quickly as possible to acquire them.