Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics signing of strategic partnership agreement for GMLRS rocket production.

Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics have announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement for the production of solid rocket motors that will enhance the security and resilience of a vital national supply chain. According to Tim Cahill, President of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, maintaining a robust and diversified supply chain for solid rocket motors is essential to advancing our vision of 21st-century security, which aims to strengthen and fortify the defense industrial base to enable our customers worldwide to stay ahead of emerging threats. This agreement allows Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to accelerate the production of highly demanded solutions in the future.
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Lockheed Martin's extended-range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System during World premiere in 2020 (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)

Firat Gezen, President of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), stated that the company is proud to leverage its expertise in missile subsystems to provide new capabilities that will enhance the resilience of the national supply chain. "The collaboration between GD-OTS and Lockheed Martin underscores our shared commitment to strengthening the defense industrial base and providing essential capabilities to warfighters."

The initial work will focus on the production of solid rocket motors for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and will be carried out at the General Dynamics facility in Camden, Arkansas, starting in 2025. This project will be followed by a phased planning approach for transitioning to other products.

The GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) is a guided rocket system developed by the United States, primarily for use with the M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) and the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System). This system was designed to provide increased precision compared to traditional unguided rockets, allowing for long-range strikes with near-surgical accuracy. The GMLRS uses a combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) and INS (Inertial Navigation System) guidance, significantly improving targeting accuracy. Thanks to this guidance technology, GMLRS rockets can strike targets with remarkable precision, even at distances exceeding 70 kilometers. This makes the system particularly effective for neutralizing high-value targets such as enemy infrastructure, troop concentrations, or artillery positions.

Over the years, several variants of the GMLRS have been developed, each tailored to specific missions, including versions with unitary warheads and versions capable of delivering submunitions for broader effects on the battlefield.

GD-OTS will expand its operations in Camden by leveraging advanced manufacturing to provide affordable and reliable solid rocket motors at production scale.

This initiative follows the recent establishment of Lockheed Martin’s solid rocket motor product center, designed to enhance the security of supply for cost-effective propulsion systems. This aligns with the nations' intent to pool resources at various levels to minimize manufacturing times and deliver the best products as quickly as possible. In the context of renewed global conflicts and international uncertainty, an arms race and technological innovation in defense are logical responses.