The World Arms Trade Analysis Center has announced that Lockheed Martin has donated 400 samples of the highly mobile HIMARS artillery system to the US Army.
The first HIMARS MLRS launchers were adopted by the American ground forces in June 2005, and in December of the same year a contract was signed for their serial supply. New agreements for the supply of MLRS are signed annually, so the UAE signed a contract in 2006 for the supply of 20 launchers with a total value of $ 752 million. The term of this contract is 2013. In 2007, a similar contract was signed with Singapore, where it was about 18 launchers worth $ 330 million, the end of deliveries is scheduled for the current year. In the same year, deliveries of 12 units to Jordan are to be completed, according to the contract from 2009, in the amount of $ 220 million. The US Armed Forces are planning to purchase about 900 HIMARS MLRS.
MLRS HIMARS is designed to destroy areas of concentration of manpower, air defense facilities, technical support and support equipment, artillery weapons and lightly armored enemy targets. Another task of the system is to provide fire support for its own troops and logistic support units. The need for highly mobile MLRS, allowing them to be transported by military aviation forces to the desired area, in the marines and airborne units led to the creation of the High-Mobility-Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Its first prototype was released in September 1994.
In early 1996, a contract was signed between the Lockheed Martin company and the command, controlled by the weapons of the US Army, for the assembly of prototypes of the HIMARS PU, the amount of which was $ 22, 3 million. Four and a half years later, the company's specialists issued 3 combat vehicles to the customer for testing for 2 years, and the fourth sample was left for factory testing. In July 1998, representatives of the ground forces carried out successful control shots of an ATACMS missile from a prototype HIMARS launcher.
The second series of the system was presented for comprehensive tests in November 2003. During the tests, NURS "M-26", MGM-140B and 164A missiles were used, guided missiles of the MLRS system were also tested. Unfortunately, there was no information about the possibility of firing from one chassis with shells of different calibers (TPK change). Production tests of the prototype for compliance with the TOR were completed in January 2004, confirming the declared tactical, technical and operational characteristics. During them, the car was loaded onto a C-130 aircraft and delivered to the eastern range of Fort Sill, where it was unloaded in less than 5 minutes, after which, moving to a combat training position and receiving target designation data, fired a volley of six shells. On June 16, 2005, the system began to enter the troops, the first recipient was the 3rd division of the 27th field artillery regiment of the 28th US Airborne Corps.
At the end of 2006, an order was received from the US Army to Lockheed for the development of a cabin for a BM, in which the protection of a combat crew would be increased; on September 30, 2010, the army received its order at a price of $ 15.8 million. In March 2009, tests of the modified HIMARS were carried out, during which 2 SLAMRAAM missiles were launched. For this, a converted transport and launch container from the ATACMS complex was used; during launch, a standard fire control system with additional software was used. Based on the test results, it was decided to complete work on the creation of a TPK for anti-aircraft guided missiles and, in accordance with the command's plans, use such machines as part of the air defense system.
The system was tested in real combat conditions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, one of the last applications observed on February 14, 2010 in Afghanistan. There, during the counter-terrorist operation in the city of Marja, two MLRS shells deviated very much from the target and hit a civilian building, as a result, they counted 12 civilians killed.
As a combat vehicle in the MLRS HIMARS, a modified chassis of a five-ton truck with a wheel arrangement of 6x6 Stewart & Stevenson was used, with an armored cabin that provides protection against bullets from shell fragments and mines. The six-cylinder Caterpillar 3116 ATAAC supercharged diesel produces 290 hp. with. At 2600 rpm engine displacement 6, 6 liters. Transmission - Allison seven-speed automatic, clearance 564 mm., Ford up to 0.9 meters. The calculation of the machine is made up of 3 people - the driver, the commander and the operator-gunner.
The system does not use a permanent package of guides; instead, standard disposable TPK MLRS MLRS are used. Shooting can be carried out with all types of URS and NURS used in MLRS, in addition, MGM-140 and 164 guided missiles from the ATACMS complex can be used. The shot TPKs are replaced after firing with new ones, equipped and sealed at the factory. Shelf life of shells in TPK is 10 years. The transport and launch container itself is a package of 6 fiberglass pipes in an aluminum cage, with metal runners inside, which are arranged in a spiral and give the projectile a counterclockwise rotation when launched. The weight of the equipped container is 2270 kg. The system is reloaded using a retractable console with a winch controlled from the cab or from a remote control.
Fire control systems, electronic units and data transmission and reception are completely unified with the elements of the BM M270A1 MLRS MLRS. The upgraded version of the launcher contains improved control units and navigation system elements that facilitate the management and operation of the MLRS.
The transport-loading machine is designed for transportation and loading and unloading of TPK. It is a truck with a crane platform at the rear. TZM with a trailer is capable of transporting 4 transport and launch containers.
