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The US Army has demonstrated Lockheed Martin’s latest generation Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) munition against a target set at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
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The successful test, fired from a US Army HIMARS launcher, demonstrated two ER GMLRS rockets achieving flight trajectory, range and accuracy from launch to impact; the rockets also engaged a target set meeting criteria for missile performance.
Lockheed Martin’s GMLRS currently comes in three distinct variants, each with a unique role, including:
- GMLRS Unitary – the combat-proven Guided MLRS Unitary round integrates a 198-kilogram (200-pound) unitary warhead, providing precision strike for point targets with a range exceeding 70 kilometers.
- GMLRS Alternative Warhead (AW) – the first munition developed to service area targets without the effects of unexploded ordnance, complying with the US Department of Defense’s cluster munitions policy and international policies. The AW variant has a range exceeding 70 kilometers and delivers a 200-pound class fragmenting warhead.
- Extended-Range (ER) GMLRS 0 the latest variant of the GMLRS family, ER GMLRS offers an extended range out to 150 kilometres in all weather conditions. ER GMLRS shares commonality with legacy GMLRS and is deployable by HIMARS and the MLRS M270 family of launchers, while the rounds incorporate a larger motor and have enhanced manoeuvrability due to tail-driven control.
Jay Price, vice-president for Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin, said, “The Army’s success in this operational test further demonstrates the readiness of ER GMLRS and overall capability of our family of munitions.”
The operational test moves ER GMLRS closer to fielding and production, the rocket will be built at Lockheed Martin’s Precision Fires Center of Excellence in Camden, Arkansas.
“Our capabilities provide range options, affordability and of course, the continued precision of this enhanced system,” Price added.
Currently, Lockheed Martin has produced more than 70,000 GMLRS rounds and is under annual contract to continue production of GMLRS unitary and alternative-warhead rockets including integrated logistics support for the US Army, US Marine Corps, and international customers.
