By the end of this year, the Croatian government may sign a contract with the United States for the purchase of the HIMARS high-mobility rocket artillery system, the Jutarnji list daily reported on Friday, citing sources in the Croatian army.
Negotiations – as reported by Croatian media – have been ongoing for about two years, and the planned contract is to amount to 300 million dollars. “This is the most powerful military equipment that Croatia can have at its disposal in its history. It will completely change the balance of power in the region,” the local press assessed.
HIMARS Rocket LauncherSergei Gapon / Anadolu Agency/ABACAPRESS.COM
It is expected that the system could reach the country within four years, with its cost to be paid in monthly installments. Zagreb is also planning to purchase long-range missiles, Jutarnji list noted.
HIMARS Rocket Launcher
HIMARS is an extremely mobile surface-to-surface artillery system that no other country in the surrounding region has in its arsenal. Croatia. In Europe, Poland has it, Romania and Ukraineand during the purchase they are Italy, Latvia and Estonia.
Polish HIMARS rocket launcherTytus Żmijewski/PAP
In recent months, Croatia has concluded agreements with or imported French Rafale fighter jets, American Black Hawk helicopters and the French Mistral short-range anti-aircraft missile system, among others.
Main image source: Sergei Gapon / Anadolu Agency/ABACAPRESS.COM