Romania’s 54 HIMARS Explained: Deliveries, Units, ATACMS and Maintenance
Romania operates 54 M142 HIMARS launchers, organised in three systems of 18 launchers each, and was the first NATO country outside the United States to field the rocket artillery system. The deal was approved in 2017, before the war in Ukraine made HIMARS famous. Deliveries arrived in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and the systems are now fully operational and backed by a national maintenance centre in Bacău. This guide explains what Romania bought, which unit operates it, what munitions it fires and why it matters on NATO’s eastern flank. For HIMARS operators worldwide, see our HIMARS deliveries and inventory guide.
Romania’s HIMARS at a glance
- Launchers: 54 M142 HIMARS, in three systems of 18 launchers.
- Legal basis: Law no. 46/2018 on the “Long-range multiple rocket launcher system” programme.
- US approval: August 2017, with an estimated value of $1.25 billion. Romanian reporting puts the total at about $1.5 billion.
- Deliveries: first system February 2021, second 2023, third 2024.
- Operator: the 8th Tactical Operational Missile Brigade “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” in Focșani. The first launchers went to its 81st Battalion.
- Munitions: GMLRS guided rockets (about 70 km) and ATACMS missiles (up to about 300 km).
- Maintenance: a national HIMARS maintenance centre run by Aerostar in Bacău, in cooperation with Lockheed Martin.
What did Romania buy?
In August 2017, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible sale to Romania. The notification covered:
- 54 HIMARS launchers;
- 81 unitary and 81 alternative-warhead GMLRS rocket pods;
- 54 ATACMS missiles;
- 24 AFATDS fire-control systems;
- Humvees and support equipment.
The estimated value was $1.25 billion. At the time, Defense News noted that no other European country had bought HIMARS. Romania’s Parliament approved the programme through Law no. 46/2018, and Lockheed Martin received an initial contract worth about $218 million for the first 18 launchers in August 2018.
Delivery timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| August 2017 | US State Department approves the possible sale (54 launchers) |
| 2018 | Law no. 46/2018 adopted; first Lockheed Martin contract (August 2018) |
| 20 February 2021 | First system (18 launchers) arrives at Constanța, destined for Focșani |
| 2023 | Second system delivered (36 launchers in total) |
| 2024 | Third system delivered (54 launchers); Bacău maintenance centre opens |
| 2025–2026 | Remaining logistics and communications equipment and ammunition delivered, per the MApN |
In a reply to Newsweek Romania, the Ministry of National Defence said all major HIMARS equipment had been delivered. It added that the systems are operational “without restrictions or authorisations from external sources”, and that the remaining ammunition would arrive in 2025–2026 under the schedule agreed with the US government.
Who operates Romania’s HIMARS?
The launchers belong to the Romanian Land Forces’ 8th Tactical Operational Missile Brigade “Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, based in Focșani in eastern Romania. The first 18 launchers went to the brigade’s 81st Tactical Operational Missile Battalion “Maior Gheorghe Șonțu”. Romanian HIMARS crews regularly train with US and allied units, including:
- the Saber Guardian exercises;
- Dynamic Front, the NATO long-range fires exercise;
- exercise ATREUS, in which a Romanian launcher was loaded into a Royal Air Force A400M to test rapid redeployment.
What munitions does Romania’s HIMARS fire?
- GMLRS: GPS-guided rockets with a range of about 70 km, six per pod.
- ATACMS: a single tactical ballistic missile per pod, with a range of up to about 300 km, according to the MApN.
The US Army is replacing ATACMS with the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which carries two missiles per pod and reaches more than 400 km. Romania has not announced a PrSM order. Read more in our PrSM explainer and HIMARS munitions according to official sources.
Why HIMARS matters for Romania
- Black Sea deterrence. With ATACMS, launchers deployed in Romania can hold targets at long range at risk, a key element of NATO’s eastern-flank deterrence.
- Interoperability. Romania uses the same launcher and munitions as the US Army, Poland and the Baltic states. That allows shared training, ammunition and maintenance.
- A regional maintenance hub. The Bacău centre, run by Aerostar with Lockheed Martin, is described as Europe’s first dedicated HIMARS maintenance centre. Aerostar already maintains Romania’s F-16s and Black Hawks.
HIMARS is one piece of a much wider modernisation drive. See Romania’s military inventory and NATO’s biggest defence budgets in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many HIMARS does Romania have?
Romania has 54 M142 HIMARS launchers, in three systems of 18.
When did Romania receive HIMARS?
The first system arrived in February 2021, the second in 2023 and the third in 2024.
Does Romania have ATACMS?
Yes. The 2017 US approval included 54 ATACMS missiles, and the MApN says its HIMARS fire both GMLRS rockets and ATACMS.
Where are Romania’s HIMARS based?
With the 8th Tactical Operational Missile Brigade in Focșani, eastern Romania.
Sources
- Defense News: “State Dept. clears $1.25 billion HIMARS sale to Romania”, 18 August 2017.
- Romania Insider: “First elements of HIMARS rocket system arrive in Romania”, 22 February 2021.
- Defense Romania: “How many HIMARS does Romania have and when will the last systems arrive”, citing an MApN press release (2024).
- Newsweek Romania: “Romania’s HIMARS fully operational”, MApN reply (2025).
- Euronews Romania: “MApN announces the inauguration of the first national HIMARS maintenance centre in Bacău” (2024).
