Lockheed Martin to manufacture Guided Rockets GMLRS for US - South Korea and Romania.

On February 28, 2020, the U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a potential $1.14B contract modification to manufacture surface-to-surface systems designed to engage service area and point targets. The Company will provide Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to the U.S. Army as well as South Korea and Romania as part of foreign military sales arrangements.

The GMLRS Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System can be fired by rocket launcher systems M270A1 and M142 HIMARS. (Picture source Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin received an $829M contract from the Army in April 2018 to produce GMLRS for three FMS (Foreign Military Sales) clients.

Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) is a surface-to-surface system used to attack, neutralize, suppress and destroy targets using indirect precision fires up to 70-plus km. The GMLRS munitions have greater accuracy than ballistic rockets with a higher probability of kill and a reduced logistics footprint. The current GMLRS family of munitions consists of three fielded variants: Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) and the Alternative Warhead (AW) variants to service area targets; and the Unitary variant with a single 200-pound-class high-explosive charge to service point targets with low collateral damage.

The GMLRS is employed with the M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers.

GMLRS rockets were utilized extensively in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom and continue to provide field artillery support in Overseas Contingency Operations. Development efforts include modifying GMLRS to extend the maximum range and incorporating a side-mounted proximity sensor to improve area effects.