The Ministry of Defence has not yet reached a decision on whether to acquire an additional 15 M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers and one more Repair and Recovery Vehicle (RRV), citing the ongoing Strategic Defence Review as a determining factor.
In response to a written question from James Cartlidge MP, Minister of State for Defence Maria Eagle said: “We are currently undertaking a Strategic Defence Review which is looking at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges, threats and opportunities of the 21st century. It would be inappropriate to prejudge the outcomes of the Review.”
While the UK already has 61 M270 launchers and eight RRVs on order from the US Department of Defense, the MoD has indicated it is considering a further expansion. The possible addition of 15 more launchers and an extra RRV would represent a notable enhancement in the Army’s long-range fires capability.
The consideration comes alongside a £800 million decade-long investment in Guided MLRS (GMLRS) and its extended-range variant (ER-GMLRS), although the precise number of missiles remains classified. The UK’s participation in the programme brings with it a 6% workshare, maintaining British industrial involvement in key modernisation efforts.
The M270 has seen extensive and effective use in Ukraine, where its precision-guided munitions have delivered significant battlefield results. Increasing the UK’s own MLRS inventory is widely viewed as a step toward bolstering deep-strike options within NATO’s wider posture.
The review also takes place in parallel with Britain’s collaboration with Germany on the new Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155), a cutting-edge wheeled artillery system being developed under the Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) programme. The RCH 155 will eventually replace the UK’s donated AS-90s, bringing fully automated fire-on-the-move capability to the Army.
Mounted on the Boxer armoured vehicle chassis, the German-designed RCH 155 combines long range—up to 54km with advanced munitions—with a highly mobile and digitally integrated platform.
So a number, 75, is announced some time ago, as part of the Deep Fires Program.
Then, it is subject to another decision.
I hope they get them, but who operates the extra is still to be announced as Batteries will need to stand up or change Regiment.
Unless they’re just depth assets and don’t increase front line strength.
Currently, 26RA and 3 RHA, each of 2 Fire Batteries, with the reserve 101 Regiment which I think has 2 more Fire Batteries.
I’d read the plan was for 8 Batteries total, 6 Regular.
Heck even if they just leave them in reserve, I’d rather have the extra 15 than not!
I’d agree that having a reserve in fully ready to go non STOROB’d condition is preferable to an empty cupboard.
Reserves are a thing and can be trained to operate them. We need to have more confidence in our reserves.
100% I’d love to see us strart stockpiling alot of systems. Vehicles, Javelins, everything.
It’s all a bit like swimming in molasses, but the Government does appear to be listening. There are plenty of places to store kit around the country, and to ensure it is in good order, all war reserve items should be located at Aschurch and then distributed countrywide in an emergency. I’m not sure how many bases in the UK (apart from Ashchurch) have low-humidity storage, maybe Donington COD, Tidworth and Larkhill? War reserve has been allowed to molder in recent years, and even Ashchurch was doomed to be replaced by ‘Thousands Of Houses’! Thank God we stopped that idiocy in its tracks.
Maurice.
I think Shawbury has CHE as that’s where some aircraft are stored.
Ayrshire barracks in Germany, unsure if the others you list have CHE.
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Agree- makes total sense to me- the lesson from Ukraine is clear, attrition happens, drones sometimes will get through and then loss of an expensive asset should not then mean no counter battery or precision strike capability.
The UK needs the extra 15 for sure. We have to get the government and bean counters in whitehall to realise its ok to have reserve equipment, its ok to have equipment in storage. these are your insurance policy against a moment of danger.
Good that we’re moving in the right direction at last. Considering a major war could be imminent I just hope we don’t allow recovering from the treacherous forces nadir to take too long.
I believe 101 has 4, 2 of which are essentially superglued to 26RA and 3 RHA to essentially give each regular regiment 3 batteries ( 2 regular 1 reserve) then it also has 2 reserve batteries used for the standard battlefield replacement role.
I believe you are correct in that they are transitioning to 26RA and 3RHA moving to 3 regular batteries.. I’m not sure if the plan is to then transition 101 to 2 reserve batteries only.
Personally I think they need to rebuild 101s HQ so it can be again deployed as a whole regiment if needed.. just as it used to be.. but then I consider the whole concept of just using the reserves as battlefield replacements as a complete waste..
61 ‘on order’ represents a good capability. Let’s get the self propelled artillery sorted with adequate numbers and with state of the art equipment.
Bill, I think it will be a number of years before we get the SPGs. They are Boxer-based and there are plenty of other Boxer orders in progress at the moment.
Why not another 36 Archers?
RC155’s announced and programme funded- order was reportedly placed- so around 200 SPGs of the very best range, mobility, speed of deployment into and out of action as well as low operating costs- 3 man crew and autloader- what’s not to love.
Ah yes the long overdue release of the Strategic Defence Review…the panacea (default) answer concerning Defence procurement/personel questions.
I would be happy to go with this additional buy but mount then on HIMARS instead. This would give you a wheeled capability for rapid deployment (A400 perhaps) and we would have the flexibility to better support 1 Div, 16 Air Assault Bde , 7 Light Mech Bde and even 3 Cdo Bde ( if it ever plans to fight as a Bde again 👎) for out of area ops.
Agreed.
Complete agree 1divs handful of 105mm batteries is completely inadequate.. personally as soon as the new 155 self propelled system comes on line I would move the 14 archers over to replace the 105s, also look at GDAMs 120mm mortar on supracats, agree HIMARs would then make a great long range precision fires for 1 Div. In the end I think 1Div needs a rethink as a deployable Division.. in reality it needs 3 air “mobile” deployable brigades ( all with Mec or protected mobility and full CS, CSS).. air assault is let’s be honest a bit niche.. nice to have but if your dumping your Air assault brigade in Africa it needs to be more air mobile than air assault with Mec infantry or protected mobility infantry, Cav and proper fires.
Perhaps given where we are with tariffs etc, we buy the hmt or boxer platforms (latter opening way for boxer tracked if needed.
Potentially using brimstone
France is working on one (but it has not been selected yet!).
It’s a good time for the UK to jump in.
While the platform itself is quite simple, it is still interesting if we can make it in Europe.
For ammunition, we can also work together, as we already do.
It’s also these less shiny projects that could be interesting to bring home.
Has been quite a lot of discussion about quite a lot of things recently. The MOD is becoming a bit leaky ahead of the SDR. Time for the government to restate that the Review is everything and all decisions come through it.
The mobility benefits of a light wheeled version, akin to LIMAWS(r), mean that I’d rather the money went that way. The munitions, launcher, fire control and vehicle are all in service already, so there should be no big increase in training costs or spares needed. They’d also have a lower escalatory effect in times of tension , moving a battery closer to the border cf moving tracked vehicles which may be considered aggression.
So nothing ordered yet just more words and defection. MOD are getting good at writing a lot but not really saying any thing. The defence review will need be amazing to fix the mess the Army is in. I am not holding out much hope they are always about money or lack of it, make do and mend or just deal with it keep quite.
AS90 replacement still not ordered, So you won’t see any this year or in service next year, reading this weeks news its maybe we might get more transport aircraft, maybe we might get more MLRS, may be we might get RCH 155mm,
Martin, Boxer RCH-155 is the AS-90 replacement.
If we stopped doubling down on failure we wouldn’t have sent all our stock to prop up a neonazi regime just so the EU can get it’s own gas supply.
You are an idiot. Do you even know what Nazism is??
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How much are the russians paying you?
RC155’s announced and programme funded- order was reportedly placed- so around 200 SPGs of the very best range, mobility, speed of deployment into and out of action as well as low operating costs- 3 man crew and autloader- what’s not to love.
The ministry of defence has a lot of orders pending, we,ll see if finally they order something.
They got a massive amount pending but nothing ordered, lets see how long that drags on or most are quitely not ordered. No one trusts a word of what the MOD or Government or even the CDS says any more.
I wonder what excuse they will use for doing SFA after the strategic Defence Review is finally published.
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Maurice, Ashchurch is just for vehicles, not for all manna of war reserve items. It is also a very small site.
Interesting that MoD has not held back from announcing disposal of assets before SDR reports!
Yes, just so. There has been a clearing out and selective modest spends in an attempt to balance the books. Tranche 1 Typhoon, Puma, Hercs, several T23s, LPDs, Waves, AS90, Afghanistan patrol vehicles all gone or going. CR3, T45 upgrades and PIP, MLRS, Ajax, Boxer and frigate programs protected and delivering.
Mount them on an MAN 8×8 and then they can operate with the Brigade’s using Boxer.
I served with 39 Heavy (MLRS) Regiment Royal Artillery in the REME Workshops.
39 received the MLRS system just a few months before I joined them in October 1990.
By December 1990, we were deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of the coalition forces for The Gulf War.
The commissioning firing was carried out whilst in the Gulf.
‘Grid square removal service’ it was known as.
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