The Australian Army has received a second tranche of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers from the US, with deliveries completed two years earlier than initially planned.
This expansion is part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s long-range strike capabilities amid record defence investment.
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The new HIMARS units, which comes just a year after the first delivery, are now with the Army’s 10th Fires Brigade regiment based in Adelaide.
The delivery comes after the Australian Government announced plan in April this year to invest A$2.3bn ($1.60bn) over a decade in US-made HIMARS and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM).
In its 2026 National Defence Strategy, Australia is working towards fielding up to 90 HIMARS launchers across its two long-range fires regiments within the 10th Fires Brigade.
The government said this growth will enable the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to hit targets up to 500km away, with potential to exceed 1,000km as future PrSM upgrades enter service.
The new systems were demonstrated during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, where Australian forces successfully fired a PrSM well ahead of the original schedule.
Earlier this year, the first Australian-made Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) missile was test-fired from an Australian HIMARS, marking a milestone in local missile production.
In parallel with overseas acquisitions, Australia has resumed domestic missile production for the first time since the 1970s. A facility in South Australia has already begun manufacturing, and a second site is expected to commence operations near Newcastle, New South Wales, next year.
The move is part of the government’s plan to build sovereign guided weapons manufacturing capability and reduce supply chain vulnerabilities, underpinned by investments of up to A$36bn over the next decade.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: “These highly mobile systems are an incredibly important platform, and the delivery of these additional units represents a significant leap in capability for the Australian Army.
“Our investments in Australia’s long-range strike capabilities are about equipping the ADF with the equipment it needs to keep Australians safe.”
