Lockheed Martin delivered the first M270A2 Multiple Launch System (MLRS) launch vehicle to the U.S. military during a ceremony today at the Precision Fires Center of Excellence in Camden, Ark.
“This delivery represents an important milestone for Lockheed Martin, as the modernized system will support the military and its allied partners for decades to come,” said Jay Price, Precision Fires vice president for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our award-winning Camden plant continues to produce world-class vehicles, and this new M270A2 launcher will continue our legacy of combat-proven reliability.”
Lockheed Martin, in partnership with the Red River Army Depot, upgrades the M270 with an all-new 600 horsepower engine, upgraded armored cabin and Common Fire Control System (CFCS). This upgrade ensures compatibility with future ammunition like the Extended Range GMLRS and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). The full restoration ensures that the M270 series launch vehicle remains highly efficient and reliable to serve the US military and partner nations through 2050.
The M270A2 is a mobile heavy-tracked launcher enabling joint operations in all domains (JADO), transportable via C-17 and C-5 aircraft. The launcher and its munitions are designed to enable soldiers to sustain joint combat by engaging and defeating artillery, air defense concentrations, trucks, light armor and personnel carriers at ranges greater than ‘previously.
The upgraded MLRS M270A2 launcher can engage and move at high speed, greatly reducing an adversary’s ability to locate the system. Similar units have been in operation with the US Army since 1983.
The M270 continues to exceed performance requirements and remains in high demand, as evidenced by recent launcher production contracts, which include international orders for the UK.
