The British Army is to receive a ballistic missile capability with a range of around 500 miles under the Defence Investment Plan, the UK Defence Journal understands.
A defence official said additional money is going into the Army’s recce strike concept, covering lethality, basic and advanced drones, electronic warfare, improved networks and long-range fires. “We want to bring in ballistic missile capability for the army over that key sort of 500 mile range,” the official said, adding that the investment would put Project Asgard, the Army’s deep-strike targeting effort, on a firmer footing and increase the ability to conduct corps-level activities.
Ballistic missiles are powered during an initial boost phase before following an arcing trajectory to the target, descending at very high speed in the terminal phase. That flight profile gives short reaction times to defenders and makes interception considerably harder than engaging slower, air-breathing cruise missiles, which is one reason such weapons have featured heavily in the war in Ukraine on both sides, from Russian Iskander strikes to Ukrainian use of Western-supplied ATACMS.
A land-based weapon reaching around 800 kilometres would allow the Army to strike targets deep in an adversary’s rear, including headquarters, logistics hubs and airfields, from launchers positioned well behind the front line.
A weapon of that range would exceed any system currently fielded by the Royal Artillery. The longest-ranged in-service system is the M270 multiple launch rocket system, which fires guided rockets out to around 150 kilometres in its extended-range configuration.
The official said the changes made to the plan in its final weeks put more early money into army deep fires, uncrewed land vehicles and tactical drones, and that the department is “more comfortable than we were even two weeks ago” with the balance of the package as a result.
The plan injects an increase into the lethality of the front line, especially in long-range precision strike, “far sooner than we were previously planning to do,” according to the official, who said this is what NATO wants of the UK and what the United States wants Europe to deliver, sending a deterrent signal to potential adversaries.
Sensible plan👍
Good news and about time. In regards to the Army and in particular the RA, I hope the MOD will consider adding the tracked LORAS as this would also allow for long-range strike as well as ‘Shoot & scoot’.
Good stuff.
Now, who operates it? And in what quantity in the ORBAT?
All the Regiments are committed.
No manpower expansion till the mid 30s according to the MoD with an “aspiration” to add 3k to the Army, so maybe in that time frame? As where are the personnel to form additional Batteries otherwise.
The KGA has formed and will eventually expand to 4 Batteries, spilt amongst existing Gun Regiments, so that provides up to 4 Batteries of extra people, yet 39 Royal Artillery has reformed as a third MLRS Regiment. Maybe a Troop each Battery?
Cannot see this being more than a niche capability in individual Troops otherwise??
I suspect one MLRs Regt each to 1 Div, 3 Div and the ARRC – with the latter focusing on this 500-mile capability (shorter range focus at the Div level).
No suspicion needed, it’s confirmed that each will have an MLRS Regiment.
26RA, 3 Division, 3 DRSB.
3 RHA, 1 Division, 1 DRSB.
39RA, ARRC, 9 DRSB.
My issue is when you look at their internal Batteries.
Each with 2 MLRS Batteries. Plus MLRS Deep Fires is to expand to 61, so more bodies needed.
Exactior is in there somewhere as well.
More Batteries needed, UNLESS, this is used in a very small capacity despite the usual grandstanding accompanying it.
I hope to learn of additional Batteries forming, again, you need bodies, and the Army cannot magic people up without cutting elsewhere with no personnel uplifts.
Interesting idea with this only with the ARRC assigned formation though, makes sense, very much a Corps level asset! 👍
Cheers Daniele. I read somewhere that Exactor has been withdrawn from service. If that’s the case, that will have freed up a few personnel for other duties.
Drones, Effectors, Enablers…. whatever next 🤔
How about “Influencers” ?
They have them already in 77th Brigade since around 2021.
Isn’t this just PrSM that we’ve been planning to buy for years?