Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall have partnered to offer Germany and its neighbors a European-made rocket launcher based on Lockheed’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
The GMARS system is envisioned as a wheeled artillery system to replace Berlin’s outdated MARS 2 multiple launch rocket systems, said Howard Bromberg, vice president and deputy for strategy and business development for the air defense and air defense business line. Lockheed Martin missile defense. He explained that the weapon would integrate a chassis from Rheinmetall and a magazine component from Lockheed Martin.
The ongoing war in Ukraine against Russian forces has demonstrated the demand for new rocket artillery on the continent, he said at the Paris Air Show. “Everyone is discussing what their future needs for rocket artillery are.”
Germany, in particular, has been in talks with Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin to find a replacement for its MARS 2 systems, some of which have been donated to Ukraine over the past year and the rest of which is aging fast. In April, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two companies.
“They want to replace those [donated systems] quickly and then move to a modernized rocket artillery force,” Bromberg said.
As of June 21, Germany had supplied Ukraine with five MARS 2 rocket launchers with their corresponding ammunition, according to documents released by the Defense Ministry.
Thirty-four systems remain in the current Bundeswehr inventory, a department spokesperson said in a June 22 email. However, the spokesman could not comment on the rocket launchers’ operational readiness.
“Preparations for the replacement are underway,” the spokesperson said.
The GMARS solution proposed by the two companies – featuring Germany’s G – would be similar to HIMARS but with a much larger chassis, provided by Rheinmetall, and a dual payload capacity with two rocket pods instead of one, Bromberg said. .
The chassis would be based on Rheinmetall’s commercially available, protected HX 8×8 to maximize the commonality and interoperability of both parts with the existing and growing HX fleet, a Rheinmetall spokesperson explained in an email. It would be built in Vienna and would measure about 12 meters long, although the dimensions are still being finalized, they said. A HIMARS truck is about 7 meters long.
The Lockheed loader-launcher component would then be integrated into the rear of the truck, with global integration work taking place in Germany.
“It will be our entry into the European market with a version of rocket artillery produced in Europe… that will be able to be offered across Europe,” Bromberg said.
Some components of the system would have to be purchased from the United States through so-called combined foreign military sales and direct commercial sales. The Rheinmetall truck would be acquired through direct commercial sale, he added.
According to Bromberg, the industrial couple is also in talks with German arms maker Diehl to have other items made locally. “Right now, we are in discussions with the industry about what can be produced or assembled in Europe in terms of rockets,” he said.
Rheinmetall is interested in supplying rocket motors, “which is a very viable option,” Bromberg said. Meanwhile, Diehl could supply some of the warheads along with Lockheed components. Those talks are not yet complete, but Lockheed and Diehl are “well on their way to establishing what that relationship is,” he said.
Once contracted, the initial five GMARS systems could be delivered for trial and acceptance as early as 2025. “So if the Germans wanted to have the additional capability in the interim, they could apply to the US government to purchase direct HIMARS and then use them as a patch,” Bromberg said.
According to the company spokesman, Rheinmetall could have the chassis ready for integration in the months following the signing of the contract.
Should Germany decide to support its production, GMARS will have 80% commonalities with HIMARS ammunition packages and supply chain, Bromberg noted. It will require three people to operate, just like the HIMARS.
Either weapon could be more attractive to different countries depending on the needs of their armed forces – the HIMARS is C-130 transportable and sized to operate on very small roads and capable of crossing bridges with weight restrictions. In the meantime, other nations could prioritize the double load of GMARS rockets. “It’s a personal desire, based on what you think your threats are and how you want to operate,” Bromberg said.
European countries such as France and Germany currently operate variants of the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), a tracked vehicle that Ukraine has also used in the past year. But now, Bromberg added that many operators are interested in a wheeled artillery system.
As a result, many of these countries and other allies have purchased Lockheed’s HIMARS system or have expressed interest in purchasing it. Poland was recently approved to receive up to 18 new HIMARS systems along with other equipment in a $10 billion FMS joint sale, and Warsaw expressed a desire to purchase up to 500 launchers for more than 80 batteries.
Meanwhile, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and the Netherlands have signed a deal for HIMARS with Lockheed Martin in the last seven months. Romania became HIMARS’ first European customer when it signed a contract in 2018 for 54 launchers.
Vivienne Machi
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