Putin Is Freaked: HIMARS Rockets Have a Message for Russia’s Army

Key Points – The US-made M142 HIMARS rocket artillery system has proven to be a game-changing weapon for Ukraine since its 2022 deployment, devastating Russian rear-area targets like ammunition depots, command centers, and troop concentrations with long-range precision strikes (up to 57 miles).

-Notable successes include the deadly 2022 Makiivka barracks strike and stabilizing the Kharkiv front after the US permitted strikes inside Russia.

-Despite Russian efforts, HIMARS remains highly survivable due to its mobility, with only four confirmed destroyed.

-While ammunition supply and a temporary US aid freeze posed challenges, Lockheed Martin doubled HIMARS production in 2024 to meet Ukrainian and growing international demand.

HIMARS Has Been a Changer For Ukraine

In the summer of 2022, the US-made M142 High Mobility Rocket Artillery System— HIMARS was sent to Ukraine after the Russian invasion, and its results were incredible.

The wheeled vehicle was built by Lockheed Martin on an Army 5-ton truck chassis and can carry a single six-pack of rockets or one ATACMS missile.

It was a game-changing weapon, among others, that Western allies sent to Ukraine. With a range of up to 57 miles, it struck Russian positions in the rear, knocking out ammo depots, troops and equipment, and command and control centers. Ukraine claimed that HIMARS knocked out 50 ammunition dumps.

The “Fabulous Forty” Has Proved Its Worth:

The US sent Ukraine 40+ M142 HIMARS, and they have more than proved their worth in the three-plus years of fighting, to target Russian artillery, headquarters, and troop concentrations.

“The word ‘HIMARS’ has become almost synonymous with the word ‘justice’ for our country,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“The Ukrainian defense forces will do everything to ensure that the occupiers experience more and more painful losses every week thanks to these very effective systems,” Zelensky added.

HIMARS is also behind one of the deadliest attacks in the entire conflict. On New Year’s Eve in 2022, the Ukrainians used M142 HIMARS to target a Russian barracks in the town of Makiivka in the Donbas region.

Russian soldiers were celebrating the coming of the new year and appeared to have been careless in their use of electronics, allowing Ukrainian forces to track their location. A salvo of HIMARS rockets rained destruction on the Russian barracks, killing and wounding more than 700 troops.

Long Range Sniper?

The HIMARS has been highly effective in long-range precision strikes to take out ammunition depots and headquarters, disrupting Russian logistics and command structures.

HIMARS strikes have been credited with forcing Russian withdrawals from key cities like Kherson and aiding in Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive around Kharkiv, allowing them to retake a significant amount of territory.

But Western policy hindered HIMARS, giving Russia an advantage by not allowing the use of these Western-made weapons on Russian territory. As a result, Russia strategically positioned significant amounts of air defense systems, artillery, and radars close to the border, as they were effectively shielded from Ukrainian strikes.

But late last year, as Russia tried to take Kharkiv, that policy was reversed, and Ukraine took out multiple Russian air defense systems, artillery, and radars with a barrage of HIMARS rockets after the US allowed strikes inside Russian territory.

Now, because of the rocket system, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have stabilized the Kharkiv region.

Russia Has Made Targeting HIMARS A Priority:

Immediately after their introduction on the battlefield, the Russian military began earnestly searching and trying to destroy HIMARS. Ukrainian troops built wooden mockups, and Russian artillery pounded the fake missile locations in vain.

By the autumn of 2022, Russia claimed to have destroyed more HIMARS than the US had sent. However, due to its high mobility and range, HIMARS is an incredibly elusive target. A crew can deploy, fire, and evacuate in minutes.

In reality, the Russian military didn’t destroy an M142 until 2024. Thus far, four have been destroyed, the latest happened in early May when the Ukrainians sent a HIMARS too close to the front lines, about six miles, ostensibly to hit a target deep in the rear of Russian lines, when it was detected and destroyed by a drone.

Ammunition Stocks Running Low For HIMARS:

The ammunition for the HIMARs has been draining US stocks due to the number of missiles given to Ukraine. But the Ukrainians are also facing a critical shortage of ammunition, in part due to their usage, although they have been very judicious in their usage. This is also partly because President Trump froze aid to Ukraine shortly after taking office.

Under President Biden, the U.S. Defense Department spent $1.2 billion replacing HIMARS-compatible rockets it sent to Ukraine, translating into roughly 7,000 of the $170,000 rockets.

Also in December of last year, the Biden administration authorized an additional $500 million in military aid to Ukraine which included more ammunition for the HIMARS systems.

Our allies, after watching the effectiveness of the HIMARS have been trying to buy HIMARS for their usage. Currently, 10 allied countries are using the M142 system. Another six have ordered it, but haven’t yet received them due to a scarcity of the systems. But help is on the way.

Lockheed Martin, which builds the HIMARS system, announced on April 11 that it successfully doubled its annual production, producing 96 of the launcher vehicles in 2024.

About the Author:

Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.

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