Live news: US approves $10bn sale of Himars rocket launchers to Poland

The US has approved the sale of up to $10bn worth of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars), rockets, and long-range missiles to Poland as the nation moves to replenish and modernise its weaponry while sending its existing systems to Ukraine.

The military package would include 18 Himars, over 1,500 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS), the standard ammunition for a Himars, and 45 long-range Army tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which can also be shout out of the rocket launcher, along with other support equipment.

Ukraine’s western allies have given the besieged army Himars and GMLRS, which have been critical weapons as it fights Russian forces.

The sale, which has yet to be finalised, would “improve Poland’s military goals of updating capabilities while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies,” the Pentagon said in a statement. Poland would “expand its capability to strengthen its homeland defence and deter regional threats” with the new systems.

“The great reinforcement of the Polish artillery is getting closer,” Polish defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak wrote on Twitter late on Tuesday. He said that most of the Himars launchers would be mounted on Polish trucks and that “we will also buy ammunition.”

In August, Poland placed an order for 258 Abrams main battle tanks, made by US defence contractor, General Dynamics, for up to $1.15bn.

US aerospace and defence giant Lockheed Martin would be the prime contractor for the $10bn order.