It won't have dragged on. Berlin has, in fact, just announced an order for 5 Israeli PULS rocket launcher systems to replace the 5 M270 MARS 2 of the Bundeswehr shipped to Ukraine, just a few days after Warsaw did the same, but this time for 486 HIMARS launchers.
Why are these two topics related, other than the fact that they are two modern long-range rocket systems? A little step back is necessary, in 4 steps!
1- The Netherlands and KMW prefer Elbit’s PULS
Last April, The Hague presented a series of measures and programs to modernize and strengthen its military assets . In addition to increasing the budget of its armies by 40% to reach the 2% of GDP required by NATO in 2024, the Dutch authorities had also announced the order for JASSM-ER cruise missiles to arm their F-35A, but also RGM/UGM-109E Tomahawk to equip its frigates and submarines.
The surprise, however, came from the announcement of an order for 20 Precise and Universal Launching System or PULS rocket launchers, designed and manufactured by the Israeli Elbit.
A few weeks earlier, The Hague had, in fact, obtained the green light from the American Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, to acquire as many HIMARS systems for $670 million. Obviously, the Dutch authorities had obtained better conditions than those proposed by Washington.
PULS had already been chosen by Denmark at the start of the year, and was also of interest to Spain and Germany. Thus, the Krauss-Maffei industrial group presented, in December 2022, a potential successor to the German M270 MARS 2, based precisely on the Israeli PULS .
2- Rheinmetall partners with Lockheed-Martin for HIMARS
However, at the end of April, it was Rheinmetall's turn to sign an agreement, this time with Lockheed-Martin , to develop this same successor to the MARS 2, this time on the basis of the American HIMARS, in riding on the newly signed industrial agreement around the construction of the central part of the fuselage of the F-35A.
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