- Contractors are developing a rocket artillery system for Europe that could rival HIMARS.
- The heavier EuroPULS can carry twice as much rocket.
- As Lockheed Martin tries to meet surging demand, HIMARS may become a victim of its own popularity.
The Europeans are developing multiple rocket launchers similar to the U.S.’s HIMARS, a ground-launched weapon that could take on the precision strike missions that Ukraine’s battered air force could not.
EuropulseThe is a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher jointly developed by French and German defense company KNDS and Israeli company Elbit Systems. Elbit’s precision universal launch system, or pulseIt is deployed by the Israel Defense Forces and several European countries.
This raises the question of whether EuroPULS will be a competitor to HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), a decades-old launcher that made its name in the Ukrainian war. Comparing EuroPULS and HIMARS, we see that they are conceptually similar platforms. EuroPULS is mounted on an eight-wheel truck chassis, while HIMARS uses a six-wheel vehicle. A KNDS fact sheet describes EuroPULS as 34 feet long, weighs 38 tons, and has a top road speed of 55 mph.
That makes it much heavier than the HIMARS, which has a combat weight of 18 tons. But the larger vehicle can carry more rockets. EuroPULS has two pods and can launch 12 rockets in 60 seconds, depending on the ammunition. HIMARS has one pod and can launch six GMLRS rockets or one long-range ATACMS missile. The price of the EuroPULS system has not been disclosed, but according to the U.S. Army in 2024, the HIMARS launcher will cost about $5 million per vehicle. budget Meanwhile, the GMLRS rockets cost more than $100,000 each.
European militaries already have multiple launch rocket systems, many of which are based on U.S. systems, such as France’s LRU and Germany’s MARS2. M270tracked mobile rocket launchers, and their guided multiple launch rocket system rockets.
EuroPULS will expand its weapons menu. According to KNDS, EuroPULS can launch “a mix of European legacy and PULS rockets.” Elbit sells a variety of PULS pods. Pod choices include 18 Accular 122mm rockets with a range of 22 miles, 10 Accular 160mm rockets with a range of 25 miles, four EXTRA extended range rockets that can reach up to 93 miles, and two Predator Hawk weapons with a range of 186 miles. Different pods can be mounted on the same vehicle.
Also of note, KNDS and Elbit are touting EuroPULS’ ability to launch any type of rocket. KNDS says the system is “adaptable to future missiles.” Elbit says EuroPULS will “form the basis for a modular, scalable and flexible artillery system, which, when integrated, can be fired with pinpoint accuracy and safety from any mobile platform. The open EuroPULS concept does not exclude individual missile providers from cooperating but makes them available to EuroPULS users.”
This suggests that EuroPULS could launch GMLRS rockets fired by HIMARS, although HIMARS manufacturer Lockheed Martin has said that’s not an option. “Our family of MLRS munitions cannot be integrated into the PULS system,” a Lockheed Martin executive said. Defense News“If Germany chooses PULS, they will lose access to our missiles.”
Whether EuroPULS can compete with HIMARS is complicated, as HIMARS enjoyed great reputational benefits in the Ukrainian war and played a decisive role in thwarting Russian aggression in 2022. Destroyed The Russians have attacked munitions depots and headquarters, disrupting logistics and command and control, and encouraging Russian forces to move key facilities further behind the front lines. HIMARS and other GPS-guided weapons like it have recently lost their appeal due to extensive Russian jamming of GPS signals. Deteriorated The precision of the guidance system. But for now, multiple rocket launchers are a valuable commodity.
Meanwhile, KNDS could use economic incentives as a carrot, at least for European customers: Lockheed Martin produces its guided HIMARS rockets in U.S. factories, and a KNDS fact sheet states it is “planning a European production base for launchers and munitions.”
HIMARS is in use or on order in more than a dozen countries, but Elbit’s PULS is already proving successful in Europe, with purchases by the Netherlands and Denmark. Germany The plan is to buy five to replace the MARS2 rockets sent to Ukraine, with the possibility of purchasing up to 89.
To some extent, HIMARS may be a victim of its own popularity: There are questions about whether Lockheed Martin can keep up with the surge in demand for rockets and launch vehicles, but the company plans to increase production. Manufacturing CapabilitiesFor example, Ukraine has ordered new HIMARS launchers, and the U.S. Department of Defense is replacing the launchers and missiles in an arsenal it has provided to Ukraine.
“Given the limited rate at which industrial capacity can be built up and the need to supply and replenish systems to Ukraine, there is a danger that demand for these military capabilities will outstrip supply,” James Black, vice president of defense for Europe at RAND Corporation, told Business Insider. “Industrial policy and security of supply issues also come into play, with many countries wanting to ensure access to production lines and weapons in the event of crisis or war, and many wanting to secure lucrative domestic and export contracts. Overall, these trends are leading some militaries to consider alternatives to the U.S. HIMARS system, but it remains a key player in the race for contracts.”
Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy and other publications. He holds a Master’s in Political Science from Rutgers University. twitter and LinkedIn.
