Updated mobile missile system targets NATO rearming efforts

Rheinmetall has taken the wraps off GMARS, the new Global Mobile Artillery Rocket System developed with Lockheed Martin. It could be the future of NATO land missile systems thanks to its advanced features and compatibility with current systems.

This year’s Eurosatory arms show is significant because it comes at a time when Western forces are building up their munitions stocks after supplying Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion. Equally important is that the changing geopolitical situation is forcing nations around the world to quickly expand and modernize their armed forces in the face of new challenges.

Dealing with these problems isn’t just a matter of shelling out more money for armaments. In the post-Cold War years, it was enough to rely on a few limited production lines at a handful of companies that could take decades to slowly fill government orders. However, the challenge now is to not only produce more arms, but to do so faster while introducing more advanced capabilities.

For example, replacing the many rockets sent to Ukraine has resulted in inexpensive 3D printers replacing conventional rocket-motor-forming processes that require expensive specialized machines. Another is to combine already existing and (equally important) battle-tested systems as a way of making them both cheaper and more capable, and to ensure compatibility with existing systems.

Aimed at the NATO Market, the Rheinmetall/Lockheed Martin GMARS is the result of a collaboration between the two companies that started in 2023. It involves taking a missile launcher system developed by Lockheed, and installing it in a Rheinmetall HX lorry with a number of added features.

The purpose is to produce a new system that has a high degree of compatibility with the M270/HIMARS rocket launcher and can work with NATO forces already using MLRS and HIMARS. It has an inertially navigated, GPS-aided Firepower targeting system for short- and long-range targets and a built-in crane to make the vehicle self-supporting and able to safely load its own missile canisters.

The 8 x8 HX chassis means that, despite weighing over 40 tonnes, the GMARS can reach speeds of over 60 mph (100 km/h) and has a range of 430 miles (700 km). It also means the vehicle has a “shoot and scoot” capability. In other words, it can fire its missiles and be long gone before an enemy returns the favor.

According to the partners, the GMARS is a two-pod launcher that can handle a wide variety of missiles and rockets with its crew of two, including the GMLRS, ER GMLRS, ATACMS, and PrSM. Later options will include a Surface-Launch Cruise Missile and a 122 MM Rocket. This gives it a reach of over 250 miles (400 m) for its precision munitions night or day under all weather conditions, with longer ranges anticipated in the future.

Source: Rheinmetall