Hungary may soon acquire US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky told local media after accompanying Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.
He said that the Trump administration cleared Budapest to proceed with its HIMARS procurement, possibly over a period of 3 to 5 years, following US Congressional authorization. However, a timeline was not specified, as there was a “queue” for the HIMARS.
The development comes after US Senator Jim Risch blocked the potential $735-million foreign military sale of the artillery system to Hungary in June 2023 due to its refusal to approve Sweden’s attempt to join NATO.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that the restrictions under the previous US President Joe Biden’s administration had also halted Hungarian defense procurements for political reasons, even those already paid for.
However, he noted that these have since been lifted, according to Honvedelem, a state-affiliated news outlet operated by Hungary’s Ministry of Defence.
HIMARS Acquisition Details
Earlier reports indicated that the package included up to 24 artillery units and approximately 100 missiles. The defense minister said that while those figures are not exact, they “roughly reflect the scale.”
When asked whether the procurement cost would exceed 1.2 billion Hungarian forints ($3.6 billion), Szalay-Bobrovniczky explained that the final price cannot be determined yet, as the equipment, infrastructure development, training, and related costs have to be considered as well.
“This is a very complex system and will be a very complex procurement, with costs depending on exchange rates, time, and delivery schedules,” he said.
In addition to the HIMARS, Washington signalled that it allowed Budapest to procure other necessary defense technology and equipment, supporting Hungary’s 10-year force development plan detailing acquisitions across multiple military sectors.
Hungary, part of NATO’s eastern flank, is joining members like Estonia, Poland, and Romania in ordering Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS launchers.
If approved, the purchase would significantly boost its long-range artillery while highlighting Budapest’s balancing act between alliance commitments and friendly ties with Russia.
