Canada Quietly Included in $1.1 Billion HIMARS Contract

A U.S. contract notice indicates that Canada is part of a $1.1 billion production deal for M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), suggesting the purchase may have been finalized months ago without a public announcement. The notice, posted by the U.S. Department of War, says the contract covers allied buyers in Australia, Canada, Estonia, Sweden, and Taiwan. A total of 17 systems will be built under the agreement, with completion expected by the end of April 2028. The exact number intended for Canada is not clear, though the Canadian Armed Forces had previously expressed interest in buying 26 systems. The article says the deal appears to have been signed in January, even though Ottawa had not formally confirmed it publicly. Defence officials have said HIMARS is a priority capability for longrange strike and modernization, especially for forces deployed in Latvia.