US successfully tests its next-generation Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System

News, US October 12, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin conducted a successful test of the next-generation Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

According to the Lockheed Martin statement, the ER GMLRS round was fired from the U.S. Army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launcher and successfully hit the short-range target at about 59 kilometers.

Vice president of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Jay Price said that “Our next-generation GMLRS provides versatility for commanders, offering a choice of munitions at longer distances with the same reliability and precision the system is known for. This success advances the ER GMLRS closer to production as we complete the final phase of the development program.”

The recent test “confirmed flight trajectory, range, and accuracy from launch to impact, as well as warhead lethality, HIMARS integration, and overall missile performance,” the Lockheed Martin release highlighted.

Prior to the launch of ER GMLRS, the American defense firm also tested the Stockpile to Target Sequence (STS) of the rocket pod. The Lockheed Martin statement highlighted that the test “simulates the cumulative effects the ER GMLRS will meet in the field between factory and launch for the life of the system and demonstrates the durability of the missile and launch pod container.”

GMLRS can be used for multiple types of missions and its rounds are engineered to meet the U.S. Army’s future needs in support of Joint All-Domain Operations. Its munitions are more accurate than ballistic rockets and have a higher probability of killing with a reduced logistics footprint.

Lockheed Martin has produced more than 60,000 GMLRS rounds and is expected to produce more than 9,000 new GMLRS unitary and alternative-warhead rockets including integrated logistics support for the U.S. Army and international customers.

*^{The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System fires the Army’s new guided Multiple Launch Rocket System during testing at White Sands Missile Range. (Image Credit: U.S. Army)}*

HIMARS is the newest member of the MLRS launcher family and can carry a six-pack of GMLRS rockets or one surface-to-surface Tactical Missile System (TACMS) missile. The systems are easy to reload and the launch vehicles can move quickly from one location to another.

Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, the United States provided Ukraine with the most advanced HIMARS and its ammunition (GMLRS), which helped destroy more than 400 targets, including Russian command posts and weapon storage facilities.