Lockheed Martin say they have successfully tested their next-generation Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) munition in an 80-kilometre flight demonstration at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
During the flight test, the ER GMLRS round was fired from the U.S. Army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher, built by Lockheed Martin, meeting test objectives.
According to a company news release:
“Our new Extended-Range GMLRS significantly increases the range of the current system, offering the choice of munitions for longer distances and improving options with the same reliability and accuracy our customers have come to expect,” said Gaylia Campbell, vice president of Precision Fires and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
“Our team is dedicated to conducting extensive developmental testing as part of our discipline to assure mission success for the U.S. Army with more flexibility for multi-domain operations.”
The firm add that the demonstration confirmed the missile’s flight trajectory performance, range and validated interfaces with the HIMARS launcher and system software performance.
Lockheed Martin has produced more than 50,000 GMLRS rounds and is under contract to produce more than 9,000 new GMLRS unitary and alternative-warhead rockets, more than 1,800 low-cost reduced-range practice rockets and integrated logistics support for the U.S. Army and international customers. The systems are produced at its Precision Fires Center of Excellence in Camden, Arkansas.
This is what the RA needs, along with loitering munitions and armed drones. Not field guns.
I’d argue we actually need both. The RA should be no1 priority in this review, as it is a mess, quite frankly.
I agree with you on RA. In addition to long range fires air defence is painfully inadequate, which in an era of swarming drones and loitering munitions, with no guarantees of air dominance is suicidal for ground forces. Starstreak and Sky Sabre are good systems, but short on range and so few of them. A longer ranged BMD capable missile (CAMM ER anyone) to complement as part of a networked system and anti-drone / swarming systems (electronic attack, directed energy as well as kinetic) are essemtial. The FH 77 derived Archer, while a fine gun has a range of 24km. Not enough. Cheap tactical armed drones / loitering munitions (why did we cancel Fire Shadow? probably to keep guns) and.ER GMLRS can reach out to 80 / 100km. If we had the money I’d have both too, but we don’t and range is king.
The Archer uses a 52 cal gun, just like the Caesar and most other SPGs. The standard 155 shell is punched to around 35 using the Bonus base bleed rounds. There are options of multi warhead shells like Bonus which is a replacement for cluster munition. Whilst Excalibur rounds have a range over 60km. At some point these could be replaced by the high velocity projectiles to double the range. My personal vote goes to Archer over Caesar as its more automated.
To defend the UK we overly rely on the RAFs quick reaction alert, there is no second line of defence, unless you are in Portsmouth and a T45 is active. We already have the means to produce a strategic SAM system, that could be based around the T45’s PAAMS.
For long range strike. The RA could do with a couple of precision guided missiles in the form of ground launched Brimstone and Spear 3. Why reinvent the wheel, when these missiles are already part of the inventory and have also successfully done ground trials. Therefore, you could have Brimstone for attacking mass mechanized formations and Spear for everything else. Especially as it has a loitering capability.
I suspect we see L118 and AS90 go away, per the rumours, to be replaced over time with a range of tube and rocket artillery solutions.
Perhaps not all of the following, but certainly a range of escalating capability in range and firepower, consisting of Boxer 105mm (as mobile protected firepower for direct and indirect application), Boxer 120mm mortar, Brimstone and SPEAR (perhaps on something as simple as a Milrem THeMIS towed behind rather than directly mounted on a dedicated Boxer or JLTV), Archer 155mm or something with similar critical shoot and scoot performance on HX2 8×8 platform, and wheeled rocket artillery with ER GMLRS and perhaps the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) for high value targets, again on the HX2 platform.
Most of those platforms can also address adversary heavy armour including MBTs, without needing direct fire solutions beyond dismount and vehicle mounted ATGM. The key is combining them with strong ISTAR.
what we need is air defence upgrades. get more SAMs, and anti-ballistics defences. as a war with Russia (or any country especially the EU) would mean ballistic warfare.(obviously with no nuclear warhead)
Also known as the 80km sniper. In conjunction with say a Reaper UAV it gives you the ability to really reach out and touch someone who isn’t expecting it!
MLRS was good in its time, this offering would be a good addition to the Stable in terms of accuracy and range, but would be overkill and expensive to use at targets less than 20k out.
Mate from 2006 onwards we were using GMLRS to hit targets up in Sangin, from the Troop of MLRS lads based back in Bastion. Called in quite a few, bit of a wait to be fair, and I always preferred to use the 105mm lads based in the FOB, as they were 24/7 and give them their due, shit hot in their response times and accurate, and they were always quicker, but the GMLRS rocket had quite an effective impact with that shock and awe!!!! We just need more and now to reconfigure the RA and the Armoured lads back to fighting mass and capability.
AB. Absolutely, first time I saw it fire was probably in the mid to late 80’s when my Regiment was exercising down at the US range in Grafenwoehr and nobody wants to be underneath that when that s**t is coming down. Obviously in the terms of cost and mobility guns are always going to have a part to play. My regt was the arty support during the Falklands and a major part of the Argentines loss of moral was down to accurate artillery fire. I think we were just about out of ammo at end ex.
Watched a group of SF lads use a borrowed 105 from the back of a Chinook. The Chinny landed on a hill and the gun was wheeled out down the ramp. Fired off about 20 shells, then was winched back in and they buggered off. We were providing overwatch for some Canadians, when the Chinny just landed behind us. Nothing on the comms to say it was turning up or what they were about to do. Lets just say the Canadians appreciated the help in not only putting a couple of doors in the walls of some compounds, but also clearing a few. Apparently there were a couple of SF lads embedded with the Canadians, who had wind of an ambush.
There is an article on this on the Janes website, it says that the warhead exploded prematurely. Somthing that the press release does not mention.
When RA got the AS90 155 mm and replace the M109 was it really any better notice still alot of countries with M109 was there much improvement as same size Gun ?
Stupid question coming up but hey its Sunday so why not. Is it possible to have a few battery’s of these as part of the Littoral Strike Ship weapons fit. Very much like the old WW2 rocket armed landing boats. The old RN LCT (R) could bring down 1000 60lbs rockets in a single salvo which was the firepower of 80 Light Cruisers so if we could do something similar with say 36 gmlrs the LSS it could bring down hell on Earth before the RMs go ashore.
Apart from the stupid bit I really do think the RA should get a few Regt of these to work with the AS90. Yes rockets are good but sometimes good old fashioned gunnery does the job especially at shorter range and sustained fire. It is only a pity that the 52 cal version gun for the AS90 was not approved by the UK government yet approved by the Poles for their Krab.The German 155mm L52 has a RAP range of 67 km and 10 rpm. So you could see the advantage of gun over rocket in some areas.