Lockheed Gets $16.6M to Convert MLRS Rockets, Asked to Speed Up GMLRS Production

M270 firing M30 GMLRS(click to view full) During Desert Storm in 1991, MLRS rocket launchers earned the nickname “steel rain” for their M26 DPICM warhead’s ability to cover a 200m wide area with small grenades. The same system developed to break Soviet-bloc armies worked exceedingly well against Iraq’s troops and Republican Guard. Fast forward now to a different kind of war, where “steel rain” isn’t a useful solution for fighting in crowded neighborhoods. On the other hand, a highly accurate rocket that can be fired by ground forces 35 miles away and arrive on target, in under a minute, under any conditions, with a 200 pound warhead that will take out a fortified house… is extremely useful. Enter the M30 GMRLS. Col. H. R. McMaster, Commander of 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and Operation Restoring Rights’ senior U.S. officer, discusses the weapon’s usefulness in the successful campaign around Tal Afar, Iraq: M30 GMLRS Rocket(click to enlarge) “The GMLRS proved itself in combat in Tal Afar and provided the regiment with tremendous capability… It not only was able to hit enemy positions with a great deal of precision, but was able to limit collateral damage. The physical and psychological effect the system […]