On January 7, 2025, Terrarm, the Land Armament Directorate responsible for procurement for the Italian Defense, announced the completion of contracts for the purchase of 21 US-made M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) and four new German Skynex C-RAM (Counter Rocket, Artillery, Mortar) very short-range air defense systems. These contracts expand Italy’s long-range artillery arsenal with an additional 14 HIMARS launchers, bringing the total to 21, and establish a new framework for close-defense capabilities against rocket, artillery, and mortar threats.
Terrarm began the M142 HIMARS procurement in February 2024 through a contract with the U.S. government agency known as Strategic Operational Rocket Missile (STORM), in accordance with Italian Army requirements. Italian Parliament documents published in October 2023 indicated that the 2023 defense budget and the 2024 forecasts allocated an initial €137 million—cited as €145 million in some references—for the HIMARS program. The total cost is estimated at €960 million, covering the launchers, unspecified munitions, crew training, and supply chain expenses. This initiative aligns with the Concetto Operativo dell’Esercito Italiano 2020–2035 and the Esercito 4.0 concept, focusing on contactless maneuvering, enhanced projection capacity, and increased indirect firepower.