HIMARS M142 is an American rocket launcher that was developed in the late 1970s, but it did not actually enter service with the US Army and Marine Corps until 2005.

On June 23, 2022, the first batch of HIMARS missiles arrived in Ukraine to be used at the front in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.


Origin and development

The HIMARS missile system was developed in the late 1970s, but it actually entered service with the US Army and Marine Corps in 2005.

launcher specifications

Weight: 24,000 lbs.

Length: 23 feet (7 meters).

Width: 8 feet (2.4 meters).

Height: 10.5 feet (3.2 meters).

Crew: 3 people (commander, driver and gunner).

Maximum rate of fire: 6 missiles.

Maximum range: 50 miles (80 kilometers).

Operational range: 298 miles (479 kilometers).

Speed: 53 miles per hour (85 kilometers).

Caliber: 227 mm.

Features of "HIMARS"

The HIMARS system is classified as a mobile weapon unit that can simultaneously fire several precision-guided missiles.

One launcher carries 6 GPS-guided missiles with a range nearly twice that of the M777 howitzer, which can be reloaded within a minute with only a small crew.

Equipped with a large pod capable of carrying an ATACMS tactical missile with a range of 300 km.


The new version of the HIMARS 60 missile system that was sent to Kyiv is lighter and more agile, and it is installed on wheels that facilitate transportation without any trouble.

The launcher system provides protection against small arms fire, artillery shell splinters, mine blasts and improvised explosive devices.

This artillery system can be airlifted by a C-130 Hercules tactical cargo aircraft.

- To ensure the offensive effectiveness of this system, a small, carefully trained military crew must be available to remove the spent pod, and load a new one in minutes, without the help of other vehicles.

Lighter and wheel-mounted than the M270 track-mounted multiple rocket launcher developed in the 1970s for US forces.

how to operate

HIMARS is installed on a 5-ton FMTV 6×6 military truck.

The truck is powered by a 6.6-liter Caterpillar 3135 ATAAC diesel engine with a power of 290 horsepower.

The bomber can be transported by a Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

M142 pods are interchangeable with the MLRS M-270, however they are only capable of holding one M270 pod and variants .

User countries

HIMARS has expanded its global presence and begun serving the international market, including countries such as Jordan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, as well as US NATO allies such as Poland and Romania.