Officials from the United States Army’s Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS) and Army Contracting Command (ACC)– Redstone Arsenal executed an Undefinitized contract award for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rocket production. The contract awarded to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is worth $4.1 billion and will procure GMLRS, Extended-Range (ER) GMLRS missiles, and associated hardware. This contract award is an initial step to increasing production and incentivizing innovation, while reaping the cost savings benefits of economic order quantities and long-term supply chain reliability. The contract award is led by PEO MS and executed in partnership with ACC-Redstone Arsenal.
“Multiyear contracts are mutually beneficial to the United States Government and our industry partners. They strive to lower procurement costs by allowing bulk purchasing and reducing administrative strain and costs associated with annual contract renewals, while also providing our suppliers with a stable demand forecast, encouraging investment in production capacity and capability improvements,” said Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano, Program Executive Officer Missiles and Space.
“The award is intended to be definitized as part of a three-year multiyear contract demonstrating the Army’s commitment to accelerating and stabilizing production capability for this critical weapon system, which continues to support the US Army and Joint Force, along with Ukraine and other allies around the world” said Douglas Bush, the Army’s Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.
A multiyear procurement contract is used by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to purchase goods or services over multiple years. This type of contract allows the DoD to commit to longer-term relationships with suppliers, typically spanning up to five years. Unlike annual contracts, multiyear contracts obligate the government to procure goods or services over a period of years, subject to the availability of funds. They provide stability and predictability for both the DoD and suppliers, facilitating better planning and resource allocation. The GMLRS is in high demand, providing surface-to-surface precision strike capability to US and allied forces.
Guided multiple launch rocket system (GMLRS) rockets have a GPS-aided inertial navigation system and extended range. Flight control is accomplished by four forward-mounted canards driven by electromechanical actuators. GMLRS rockets were introduced in 2005 and can be fired from the M270A1 and M270A2, the European M270A1 variants (British Army M270B1, German Army MARS II, French Army Lance Roquette Unitaire (LRU), Italian Army MLRS Improved (MLRS-I), Finnish Army M270D1), and the lighter M142 HIMARS launchers. These combat-proven low-cost, low-risk rounds greatly reduce collateral damage and provide tremendous capability and flexibility in addressing today’s threats.
Extended-Range (ER) GMLRS is a new developmental variation of the GMLRS family. Uses a slightly bigger rocket motor, a newly designed hull, and tail-driven guidance, while still being six per pod. It will come in unitary and AW variants. ER GMLRS offers an extended range out to 150 kilometers in all weather conditions. The first successful test flight was in March 2021. ER GMLRS shares commonality with legacy GMLRS, and is deployable by HIMARS and the MLRS M270 family of launchers. The rounds incorporate a larger motor and have enhanced maneuverability due to tail-driven control.
