GUIDED MLRS
Abstract
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions are the Army's primary organic Joint Expeditionary, all-weather, 24/7, tactical precision guided rockets employed by modular Fires Brigades supporting Brigade Combat Teams, Divisions, Joint Special Operations Force, and Joint Force combatant commanders and is also a key component of the Marine Corps Future Fighting Effort. GMLRS is the primary munitions for units fielded with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270A1 rocket and missile launcher platforms. GMLRS provides close, medium, and long range precision and area fires to destroy, suppress, and shape threat forces and protect friendly forces against the following: cannon, mortar, rocket and missile artillery, light materiel and armor, personnel, command and control, and air defense surface targets. GMLRS integrates guidance and control packages and an improved rocket motor achieving greater range and precision accuracy, requiring fewer rockets to defeat targets, thereby reducing the logistics burden. The two fielded variants are GMLRS with Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM/Increment 1) and GMLS Unitary (U/Increment 2), a 200-pound class high explosive warhead. The GMLRS-U is the only variant currently in production, integrating a multi-mode fuze and high explosive warhead making it an all-weather, low collateral damage, precision strike rocket. GMLRS-U expands the MLRS target set into urban and complex environments by adding, point, proximity and delay fuzing modes. With over 1900 rockets fired in support of Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), the GMLRS-U rocket has demonstrated high effectiveness and low collateral damage while supporting Troops in Contact (TIC). A third variant of GMLRS, the Alternative Warhead (AW/Increment 3), is being developed to replace DPICM and meet requirements outlined in a 25 JUN 2008 Cluster Munitions Policy, which requires all cluster munitions by 2019 to produce less than 1% Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) on the battlefield. Enhanced GMLRS technology improvements will provide the following: (1) enhanced operational capability and flexibility across the target set, (2) potential cost savings across weapon system life cycle through obsolescence initiatives, (3) test equipment commonality and reduced user effort for sustainment operations with enhancements to the MLRS Common Test Equipment (MCTE), (4) future insensitive munitions (IM) technology studies, and (5) optimize and extend ranges and scalable effects to reduce collateral damage, as per emerging requirements currently in the Joint Capability Integration and Development System (JCIDS) process.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2012
- Source ID
- 784_0603778A_7_2040_PB_2012
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- Root: MLRS PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
- Child Accomplishment: Assess and improve GMLRS rockets.
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- Child Accomplishment: Investigate obsolescense/cost reduction opportunities/second source suppliers.
- Child Accomplishment: Testing
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