Phoenix 24
The acquisition gives NATO’s newest Nordic member a faster and deeper strike capability.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Sweden will purchase the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, commonly known as HIMARS, in an agreement valued at more than 7 billion Swedish kronor—approximately €630 million or $729 million. Defence Minister Pål Jonson confirmed that the package includes just over ten launchers and a substantial quantity of ammunition, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, HIMARS is a truck-mounted rocket artillery platform designed to fire precision-guided munitions before rapidly relocating. Its mobility makes it more difficult for an adversary to detect and destroy after launch. Depending on the ammunition employed, the system can attack command posts, logistics centers, air-defense installations and other high-value targets far beyond the reach of conventional artillery.
The acquisition fills an important capability gap in the Swedish Armed Forces. Sweden already operates the domestically developed Archer self-propelled howitzer, but HIMARS introduces greater range and interoperability with NATO forces. The system has been used extensively by Ukraine, where its ability to strike Russian supply lines has demonstrated the strategic value of combining accurate long-range fire with rapid displacement.
Stockholm is also seeking to establish ammunition production inside Sweden, reducing dependence on external supply chains and strengthening the Nordic defense industry. Domestic manufacturing would improve wartime resilience while supporting cooperation with Finland and other regional allies that are expanding their own long-range capabilities. The purchase therefore extends beyond military hardware into industrial capacity and ammunition security.
Sweden joined NATO in 2024 after abandoning more than two centuries of military non-alignment in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the deterioration of European security. Its government is now accelerating investments in air defense, drones, satellites, submarines and new frigates, with military expenditure projected to reach 3.5% of gross domestic product by 2030.
The HIMARS decision reinforces NATO’s ability to deter aggression across the Baltic and High North, but it also deepens Sweden’s technological dependence on the United States. Stockholm must balance immediate access to a combat-proven system with the longer-term objective of preserving European industrial autonomy. The purchase reflects a wider reality confronting Europe: strategic urgency is advancing faster than its capacity to manufacture the weapons it considers essential.
Deterrence depends not only on possessing weapons, but on sustaining the systems behind them.