Read MoreCanada submitted a request to the U.S. government for the proposed purchase of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or HIMARS.
Canada submitted a request to the U.S. government for the proposed purchase of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or HIMARS.
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Canadian Army leaders are looking to have a contract in place by the end of the year to buy a U.S.-built rocket system despite claims by Prime Minister Mark Carney that the military will be reducing purchases of American equipment.
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The Department of National Defence confirmed in an email that Canada submitted a request to the U.S. government on Dec. 14, 2024 for the proposed purchase of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or HIMARS.
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“This step formally requested pricing and availability information for the proposed purchase, as well as the delivery schedule,” DND spokeswoman Cheryl Forrest added in an email.
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The deal would be handled through a Foreign Military Sales with the U.S., allowing the contract to be in place by the end of the year, according to defence industry officials.
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Forrest noted that department officials “verified the delivery schedules of all potential solutions that could achieve the Canadian Army’s capability targets.”
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Canada is looking for a total of 26 launchers, according to an April 8 Canadian Army briefing to the defence industry.
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Once the U.S. State Department approves the Canadian HIMARS purchase, it will submit a formal notice to the U.S. Congress. “As of now, the U.S. Congressional Notification has not yet been issued,” Forrest added.
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Approval for Canada’s HIMARS purchase is not expected to run into issues as the deal would further strengthen the U.S. military industrial base and sustain high-tech American jobs. HIMARS are built in Arkansas by Lockheed Martin.
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Several months ago, Carney promised a major overhaul of defence procurement, warning that Canada had become too reliant on military purchases from U.S. companies. He vowed to reduce purchases of American military goods in the wake of threats against Canadian sovereignty by U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. has become increasingly hostile to Canada, with Trump continuing economic efforts to punish Canada and push for this country to become the 51st state.
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Concerns have also been raised about the amount of control the U.S. retains over military goods it produces. Ukraine has used HIMARS in combat against Russian forces, but earlier this year the U.S. was able to reduce the effectiveness of the weapon system by limiting the flow of data and intelligence needed for its operations.