The U.S. State Division has made a willpower approving a doable International Navy Sale to the Authorities of Lithuania of M142 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Launchers and associated gear for an estimated price of $495 million. The Authorities of Lithuania has requested to purchase 8 M142 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Launchers; 36 M30A2 Guided A number of Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Various Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with Insensitive Munitions Propulsion System (IMPS); 36 M31A2 GMLRS Unitary Excessive Explosive (HE) Missile Pods; 36 XM403 Prolonged Vary GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Various Warhead (AW) Missile Pods with IMPS; 36 XM404 Prolonged Vary GMLRS (ER GMLRS) Unitary Pods with IMPS; and 18 M57 Military Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) Missile Pods. The principal contractor will probably be Lockheed Martin, Grand Prairie, TX.
The M142 HIMARS is a light-weight a number of rocket launcher developed within the late Nineteen Nineties for america Military and mounted on a typical United States Military Household of Medium Tactical Autos (FMTV) truck body. The HIMARS carries one pod with both six GMLRS rockets or one ATACMS missile. It’s based mostly on america Military’s FMTV five-ton truck, and is able to launching all rockets specified within the A number of Launch Rocket System Household of Munitions (MFOM). HIMARS ammunition pods are interchangeable with the M270 MLRS; nevertheless, it’s restricted to a single pod versus the usual two for the M270 and its variants. The FMTV truck that transports the HIMARS was initially produced by BAE Programs, the unique gear producer of the FMTV. The launcher could be transported by Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane.
Commercial
The HIMARS is analogous in design to the M270 A number of Launch Rocket System (MLRS), with the principle exception being that it’s a wheeled automobile versus tracked automobile. The HIMARS carries one ordnance pod, which is similar to the pods utilized by the M270. The home windows are manufactured from sheets of sapphire laminated with glass and polycarbonate. The HIMARS was additionally examined as a unified launch system for each artillery rockets and the SLAMRAAM surface-launched variant of the AMRAAM anti-aircraft missile. By early 2022, Lockheed Martin was producing HIMARS at a fee of 48 launchers yearly, however following the beginning of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine that fee was elevated to 60. In October 2022 the corporate introduced it could enhance manufacturing to 96 methods yearly in response to elevated demand brought on by the struggle.
Guided A number of Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) 227mm rockets have an prolonged vary and add GPS-aided steering to their Inertial Navigation System. Every rocket pod comprises 6 similar rockets. Most of GMLRS collection rockets have efficient vary of as much as 92 km. ER GMLRS rockets with prolonged vary of as much as 150 km (93 mi). Rockets use a barely elevated rocket motor dimension, a newly designed hull, and tail-driven steering whereas nonetheless containing six per pod. It’s going to are available in unitary and AW variants. The primary profitable check flight of an ER GMLRS occurred in March 2021. Lockheed Martin anticipates including the ER to its manufacturing line within the fiscal yr 2023 contract award, and is planning to supply the brand new rockets at its Camden facility. Full operational functionality is deliberate for 2025. In 2022 Finland grew to become the primary overseas buyer to order ER GMLRS.
