Lockheed Martin delivered the first Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270A2 launcher to the U.S. Army in a ceremony Tuesday at the Precision Fires Center of Excellence in Camden, Arkansas.
“This delivery represents a significant milestone for Lockheed Martin as the modernized system will support the Army and allied partners for decades to come,” said Jay Price, Vice President of Precision Fires for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
“Our award-winning Camden facility continues to produce world-class vehicles, and this newest M270A2 launcher will continue our legacy of combat-proven reliability,” he added.
Lockheed Martin, in partnership with the Red River Army Depot, is modernizing M270 with a brand new 600 horsepower engine, an Improved Armored Cab, and Common Fire Control System (CFCS). This upgrade provides compatibility with future munitions like the Extended-Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). The complete restoration ensures the M270-series launcher remains highly effective and reliable to serve the U.S. Army and partner nations through 2050.
The M270A2 is a Joint All Domain Operations (JADO) enabling, heavy-tracked mobile launcher, transportable via C-17 and C-5 aircraft. The launcher and its munitions are designed to enable soldiers to support the joint fight by engaging and defeating artillery, air defense concentrations, trucks, light armor and personnel carriers at greater distances than previously capable.
The enhanced MLRS M270A2 launcher can engage and relocate at high speed, dramatically reducing an adversary’s ability to locate the system. Similar units have been in operation with the U.S. Army since 1983.
M270 continues to exceed performance requirements and remains in high demand as evidenced by recent launcher production contracts, that include international orders for the United Kingdom.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. (Photo © Photo Credit: Evan Wheatley)
