Romanian HIMARS team increase capability with RAF A400M loading during exercise ATREUS

Personnel from the Romanian Land Forces 8th Tactical Operational Missile Brigade and the U.K. Royal Air Force practice loading and unloading the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) on a British A400M Atlas during a dry-fire exercise as part of the ATREUS exercise series on November 8, 2022, at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase, Romania.

This training is a continuation of previous iterations with U.S. Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). The U.S. and NATO allies and partners remain committed to collective defense and cooperative security throughout the European Theater.

Three years ago, Romania purchased from Lockheed Martin three artillery systems based on high-range M142 HIMARS surface-to-surface missiles for about 1.5 billion USD, with the first system entering service in 2021. Practically, in addition to the 54 launchers, the contract also provides for the purchase of 81 M31A1 Unitary missiles and 81 M30A1 Alternative warhead missiles, as well as 54 ATACMS missiles, which have an effective range of up to 300 km.

Romania’s contract also provides for three different types of guided/directed missiles that can hit targets up to 300 km away. The HIMARS launcher is truck-mounted and can fire six 227mm rockets or a single MGM-140 ATACMS rocket.