Canada confirms purchase of 26 HIMARS rocket launchers from U.S. government

Canada confirms purchase of 26 HIMARS rocket launchers from U.S. government

DND says decision made after 'a rigorous evaluation process'

A little over a month after the Pentagon revealed it had ordered a batch of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for several allied countries, including Canada, the Liberal government has now publicly acknowledged the purchase.

Defence Minister David McGuinty, in a statement on Tuesday, said 26 of the highly sought artillery systems will be acquired for the Canadian Army.

The $2.6-billion purchase is being made directly from the U.S. government and includes a preliminary operational stock of munitions, spare parts, training and support services.

Delivery of the weapons system is expected to begin in 2029.

CBC News was the first to report on May 1 that Canada had agreed to the purchase last January, but not announced it.

The U.S. Department of War, on its contracting website in late April, said it had signed a $1.1-billion US contract with Lockheed Martin to manufacture HIMARS for the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Sweden and Taiwan.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, in last year's federal election, promised to diversify where Canada purchased its military equipment, noting that it was unacceptable that upwards of 70 cents of every Canadian defence procurement dollar was being spent in the United States.

In the statement on Tuesday, the Department of National Defence said the decision to buy the HIMARS through a sole-source contract in the U.S. was made following "a rigorous evaluation process" and that the system "was identified as the only solution that best met Canada's operational and technical requirements."

The statement said that there is currently no Canadian manufacturer for the HIMARS launcher system or associated long-range missile capability.

Lockheed Martin, as part of the contract, will "undertake meaningful business activities and invest in Canadian industry to support the growth of Canada's defence sector," the statement said.

"Canada's Armed Forces must have the capabilities required to meet today's threats and tomorrow's challenges," McGuinty said in a statement. "The long-range missile capability is a critical step in supporting our military so it remains ready and equipped to protect Canadians and support our allies and partners when needed."

Industry Minister Mélaine Joly said the federal government will require the company to invest directly in Canada's economy by strengthening the industrial base and integrating Canadian firms into global supply chains.

Senior reporter, defence and security

Murray Brewster is senior defence writer for CBC News, based in Ottawa. He has covered the Canadian military and foreign policy from Parliament Hill for over a decade. Among other assignments, he spent a total of 15 months on the ground covering the Afghan war for The Canadian Press. Prior to that, he covered defence issues and politics for CP in Nova Scotia for 11 years and was bureau chief for Standard Broadcast News in Ottawa.